


Wrong Numbers and Coffee

by BreatheInBreatheOutMoveOn



Category: Persona 4, persona - Fandom
Genre: AU, Awkwardness, College classes, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Green tea with honey, M/M, Modern Setting, Text Messages, awkward typos, coffee shop AU, college kids, souyo - Freeform, these nerds, wrong numbers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-12 17:18:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 54,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7942702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreatheInBreatheOutMoveOn/pseuds/BreatheInBreatheOutMoveOn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I now call into order the first meeting of the official Who Is Yosuke Hanamura Dating Investigation Team!” Chie declares triumphantly over the music, slapping her hand down on the table as Yukiko, Kanji, Teddie, and herself all appear out of nowhere and settle down into seats around them.</p><p>“That’s kind of a long title, don’t you think?” Kanji mumbles, taking a sip from his drink before pulling out the seat next to Naoto.</p><p>“What about just the “Investigation Team”?” Yukiko chimes in helpfully, cheeks already stained a warm pink. Yosuke wonders how much she’s already drank.</p><p>“I don’t really think we need to give it a title at all?” Naoto adds, and Kanji nods in agreement.</p><p>“Chie did you tell everyone ?” Yosuke admonishes, even though he already knows the answer.</p><p> </p><p>A wrong number turns into a secret relationship beltween strangers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Message

**Author's Note:**

> So this has been a really fun project to write. I'm already a couple chapters in, so updates should be semi regular, but I'm also still working on several other stories atm so I'm going to be rotating between updates. 
> 
> If you enjoy please feel free t leave comments and gifts and literally whatever. I will eat it all up! Also the reaction to this will help me judge how far up to put it on my priority list since I'm working on so many other stories too.
> 
> Please enjoy!

The first message comes on a Wednesday morning.

 

Yu rolls over in his futon, soft grey covers tangling in his toes and ensnaring his legs in a prison of fresh linen scented bed sheets. His fingers fumble with the phone, nearly dropping it once, and then twice on his face before he can wedge his elbow between the pillow that is pressed against his side and his stomach, and adjust enough to hold the dull blue screen still in front of his nose. 

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852  _

_ 8:05am _

_ do you rembr how  _ _ soseki natume translated i love u into japnese? Jiraya. _

 

He tilts his head to one side, squinting in the darkness of his bedroom, he doesn’t usually sleep in this late, but he was up all night studying for exams and since he doesn’t have classes or any cases at the Law Firm he works at, he decided to draw the curtains and mute his 6:45am alarm after the first time the snooze timed out. Allowing himself to sleep for a few extra hours.

 

That is until his phone wakes him up. Three shrill beeps followed by the harsh sound of the phone buzzing across the floor, that successful send Yu jerking upright and out of the hazy half sleep he had dozed into. He stares at the number for another moment, brain groggy from too much sleep, and when a name to match the number comes up blank his fingers dance across the screen.

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 8:08am _

_ Sorry but I think you have the wrong number.  _

 

He drops the phone to one side of the futon, cocooning himself in the blankets and huffing a tired sigh before he slips one hand out from the covers and rubs at his eyes. 

 

The phone trills again less than a minute later.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852  _

_ 8:08am _

_ Oh sry dude, mustve typed in a wrong # Jiraya. _

 

Yu reads the text slowly, brain stumbling over the sender’s incoherent shorthand. His first reaction is to roll back onto one side, letting the phone slip from his limp fingers and onto the pillow next to him, but after the first few minutes of laying still and trying to coax his mind back into rest, his eyes open slowly, pale hand thumping about on the pillow until it rests on the phone and pulls it back up to his face.

He stares at the text for another moment, grey eyes large and dialated from the illuminated screen. Debating on whether or not he should just delete the short string of texts and go back to sleep, which is clearly the “normal” thing to do when someone texts the wrong number, or whether or not he should text the stranger back, Yu chooses the latter. 

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 8:09am _

_ It’s alright. Kind of a weird question to ask a stranger though. Writing poetry? _

 

Yu pauses for another moment, thumb hesitating on the “send” button before he presses it and rolls onto his stomach, his right elbow propped on a pillow. He pinches the bridge of his nose in thought and types another message, a smile curling on his lips.

 

_ But I believe the answer to your question is, The moon looks beautiful tonight.  _

 

He chews on his tongue for a moment, trying to coax the taste of sleep from his mouth while he screws one eye shut and runs through his mental notes from literature. Yes, that should be right. He hasn’t had a lit class since last semester but Yu remembers reading about Natsume, and his ability to retain information has always been one of his strong suits. 

He hits the send button and watches the tiny “sending” icon blink under the message before it disappears and the time replaces it. 

 

_ 8:09am _

_ Hope that helps. _

 

He adds for good measure.

Yu tosses the phone across the floor, watches it slide on the hardwood until it thunks against the door, and sits up; rolling out of the futon before he begins straightening the sheets and pillows into their normal neat positions, running his palms over the comforter to smooth it out until he’s pressed away any remaining wrinkles.

After he’s made the bed, Yu walks the few feet through the undecorated beige walls of the hallway and into his flat’s kitchen, opening the fridge with one hand while he scratches idly at his hip with the other, nails tugging up the bottom of his grey night shirt and exposing his skin to the cool air of the apartment. He stares at the fridge for a moment before deciding that he has the extra time to make a real breakfast, pulling out a carton of eggs and turning on the rice cooker that sits on the edge of the counter. 

 

It only takes him about twenty minutes to prepare breakfast, even if Yu takes an extra five to squeeze some fresh orange juice. 

Before he settles in at the counter to eat he goes back to his room and scoops his phone off the floor, mildly curious to see if the stranger has responded to his last message. 

He’s surprised when he flips open the phone and sees there are four new messages, all from Jiraya.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 8:11am _

_ What Jiraya. _

 

_ 8:11am _

_ Oh. thx! Hope you didnt actlly bother to look that up 4 me haha Jiraya. _

 

_ 8:15am _

_ and NO i am not riting a love poem. Just studyn for exam. Jiraya. _

 

_ 8:22am _

_ and i didnt txt a stranger on purpse. i just typed in the wrng nmbr i guess. Mustve missed a digit. Anywys thx again, u were a real help. Jiraya. _

 

Yu smiles to himself, thumbing through the messages and chewing on a piece of egg, trying to glean whatever he can about the stranger based solely on the way he shorthands his messages. He assumes that it’s a guy, because of the manner in which he talks, and his signature, but the strangeness of the situation doesn’t keep him from thinking of a response while he slowly raises chopsticks to his mouth. 

He does have one idea to find out more about the stranger though, and Yu only thinks about it for a moment before his fingers are tapping across the screen.

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 8:31am _

_ Don’t worry, I didn’t have to look it up. And like I said, it’s not a problem. It was an interesting way to start my morning, Jiraya. _

 

He stares at the message for a moment before sending it, thumbs pausing between typing each letter of the name and then pausing again afterwards to debate whether or not assuming that actually  _ is _ his name is either impolite or too forward.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 8:31am _

_ Jiraya? Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 8:32am _

_ Sorry. I assumed that since that was your signature it was your name.  _

 

Yu is chewing on a piece of rice, rolling it between his tongue and teeth while he stares at the text, fingers tapping on the granite counter of the kitchen island thoughtfully before he slides his thumb across the screen and opens a new message.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 8:34am _

_ Is Jiraya short for something, than? _

 

He scoops up his empty bowl and walks it to the sink, trying to ignore how his cheeks burn slightly from embarrassment. He doesn’t even know who he’s talking to, and it’s not like he’ll ever meet this person, or talk to them after this conversation, so why should he feel embarrassed?

 

His phone buzzes on the counter, trilling twice sharply, and Yu begins scrubbing at the bowl with more enthusiasm, setting it on a rag to dry before striding across the kitchen and flipping open his phone.

 

Xxx-xxx-1852 

_ 8:35am _

_ O sry, its been there so long that i forgot that was my signature. Jiraya. _

 

_ 8:35am _

_ jiraya isnt my name tho. Its Yosuke. Jiraya. _

 

Yu feels some pressure leave his chest as he reads the response, at least he doesn’t seem offended that Yu had assumed that was his name. And he now he has an idea of how to image the stranger. Yosuke. He takes a moment to update the contact before typing out a reply.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 8:37am _

_ Nice to meet you Yosuke.  _

 

_ 8:37 _

_ Need help with any more exam questions? _

  
  


_ Yosuke  _

_ 8:39am _

_ Lol not atm think ive given up on that for today. Sersly tho, thx for the help. Jiraya. _

 

Yu smiles as he swipes the screen with one finger.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 8:40am _

_ Anytime. _

  
  



	2. Partner

His apartment is small and cheap. There are stains on the carpet that have been there since before he moved in, the walls are a dingy hue of white, the appliances are constantly cutting out, and when they’re working his hot water usually isn’t. It’s still nice enough to convince himself it’s better than sharing a dorm with someone, even if he hasn’t taken a hot shower in over a week. Besides, he was insistent that he didn’t want his parents help. He’s going to do this on his own. And not even the warm water bottle he pulls out of his fridge can convince him otherwise. 

He’s done a fair job at making the place his own, as well. Sure sometimes he comes home and the apartment has taken on a weird musty smell, that he hopes desperately isn’t some kind of mold induced by the irrepair of the unit, or occasionally, when he  _ is _ gifted with hot water it likes to leak from the shower and puddle on the bathroom floor. But he’s spent the last year filling the space with band posters, guitars, stacks of cd’s and video games and movies, and any knick knack he can find to stuff into the empty spaces of his shelves. And honestly the distinct “Yosuke-ness” of his apartment is enough to help smother any dislike for the place regardless of the occasional mysterious odor and wet socks. 

Yosuke unscrews the cap on his water and settles back down at his desk, rolling the chair forwards and pushing back with his heels until the it reclines awkwardly, one hand nursing the warm water while the other flips open his phone.

 

It was only one digit off. A five that turned into a two while he was pounding out the numbers, reading along with the scratchily written phone number for the girl that often helps him with answers during class. 

 

Xxx-xxx-4431 

_ 8:37am _

_ Nice to meet you Yosuke. Need help with any more exam questions? _

 

Okay well maybe he shouldn’t have given the wrong number his name, but honestly there’s probably nothing wrong with that. He’s an adult after all. He’s twenty two, and he’s got his own apartment, and he’s in university so honestly he’s old enough to make his own decisions, he thinks. And it’s not like he’ll ever meet this person, if things get too personal all he has to do is delete the number. Right?

Yosuke squints at the screen, debating on whether or not to toss his phone across the desk and forget about the wrong number when he sees the small “...” at the bottom of the screen indicating that they is are still typing. He runs his thumb across the microphone while he waits for the next text.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 8:37 _

_ Need help with any more exam questions? _

 

Yosuke chuckles to himself, seriously considering whether or not he should actually rattle off the remainder of his exam sheet before he takes one hard look at the smudged paper wedged under an empty coffee mug and decides that he’s really done enough studying for today. He already set his alarm far earlier than he usually does, and he’s answered at least half the questions on the study sheet, so he retires his pencil and textbook before the idea of bashing his head against the table gets any more appealing. 

He texts out one more thanks to the stranger and wiggles his weight onto one hip, yelping when his desk chair creaks and lurches to one side, and supporting his arm on the table while he tucks his phone away into his jeans pocket. 

Less than a full minute later his back pocket chirps and buzzes once, and Yosuke chews his lips while he reads his new text, a smile tugging on his lips from the stranger’s helpfulness. 

 

__________

 

It’s another three days before he thinks of the stranger again. It’s Saturday, and since his classes only run through the first four weekdays, which still gives him a good amount of study time in between, he decided to pick up an extra shift at the coffee shop where he works part time. His morning was spent working as a barista behind the cafe counter, sloshing hot coffee onto his green apron and scowling when he remembers that he just washed it less than two days ago. Once Chie catches wind of his uniform’s disarray she sends him to the back, prattling on about how the baristas can’t look like they just crawled out of a trash can, which Yosuke is fairly certain is really just a jab at that one time he  _ actually  _ fell into a trash can, and has nothing to do with the coffee stain on his apron at all. Anyways, he spends the last few hours of his shift in a different kind of apron, this one a rough and stained white cotton that goes down to his knees, accompanied by a pair of rubber gloves that brush the red hem of his shirt sleeves. He doesn’t mind dishwashing duty though, frankly he prefers it. It gives Yosuke less opportunity to put his foot in his mouth with the costumers, and Chie allows him to listen to his music while he washes, so he tugs his large orange headphones off his neck and over his ears, turning on a song loud and upbeat enough to mute the noises of the dish sanitizers.

Before Yosuke knows it the clock reads 12:30pm, and with the early morning rush of dead eyed college students, unable to start their morning without their extra large soy latte with whip  _ and  _ a sprinkle of cinnamon (most people tend to be obnoxiously picky about what kind of caffeine they ingest, but honestly in Yosuke’s opinion he’d take it plain and bitter if it helped him grind through his six am lecture) over, Yosuke peels back the soapy rubber gloves and sets them in a bin next to the sink, working the knot on his apron with one hand while he fishes out his phone with the other. 

The “employee lounge” is really just a glorified closet. There’s an ancient computer for online assessments in one corner, a small tv monitor and vhs player, complete with a small stack of scratched to hell kung fu movies that Chie insists on keeping in the back in case someone ever wants to watch one on break, even though no one ever has, and a single metal fold up chair. Yosuke steps between the folding chair and the computer desk -pile of duct taped boxes filled with cardboard drink sleeves- and leans over to grab his messenger bag off the employee shelf, slinging it over one shoulder and swerving his way through the coffee shop’s small storage and sanitation area. He pushes past the swinging door that leads to the front counter and barista station before grabbing a Natural out of the drink cooler that sits next to his usual register, waving at Chie with one hand to signal that he’s on break, and nestling down into a corner of the cafe with his drink and backpack. 

Yosuke isn’t even five minutes into his break when he hits the first study question that gives him trouble, textbook and notes wedged under his elbow while he sits crookedly at the cafe table and chews on the eraser of his pencil. His first thought is to skip over it, like he usually does, but typically once he skips the first question he just kind of stops trying on the rest, and he knows that by the end of his break he’ll be playing games on his phone if he doesn’t grind his way through these exam notes.

He pulls out his mp3 player to change the song to something slower, the electric guitar solo currently blaring in his ears is making his pencil tap across the table anxiously. When he pulls the music player out his phone tumbles out with it, clicking on the tiled floor and landing between his shoe and a table leg. Yosuke reaches down to grab it, tapping the screen until it turns on to check for cracks. It’s then that he remembers he still has the phone number for the wrong number in his text history, and Yosuke abandons all self respect as he clicks on the text icon and types out a message, giving his study notes on long look before he hits send.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:34pm _

_ What the medical term 4 brainfreeze? Jiraya. _

 

Yosuke is laying face first in his exam notes when his phone buzzes once, indicating a text.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 12:36pm _

_ You have weird exams. _

 

He laughs at the wrong number’s reply, doodling in the lines of his notes instead of writing. It was kind of a long shot thinking that the stranger would know the answer to that question anyways, honestly Yosuke can’t even remember learning about this in class. Not that he really remembers anything he learns in class.

He listens to Chie take a customer's order while he skips down to the next question, eyes trained on the table while he tries to imagine what the customer looks like based solely on the order Chie is repeating back. It’s a habit he’s made a little game out of. Caramel frappucino with extra whip and extra drizzle. It’s a girl. Definitely. Yosuke imagines her with long blond hair and blue eyes, her nails are probably painted something girly like pink. And he thinks she’s probably wearing some sort of knit cardigan and a short skirt. He glances up from his notes and eyes the counter. He was right about the outfit, mostly, the skirt is swapped out for a pair of frilly shorts that could honestly pass as a skirt, skorts probably. She’s wearing a tan knit sweater and he even got the nail polish right, catching a hint of hot pink when she goes to grab a sequin wallet out of her purse. She’s a brunette, not blonde, and her hair is long but curly. Blue eyes. Yosuke smiles to himself, deciding that his guess was at least a little more than half right.

 

His phone buzzes across the table, jerking him away from his thoughts, and Yosuke grabs at the phone before it vibrates onto the floor, unlocking the screen and opening his texts. 

  
  


_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:36pm _

_ Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. _

 

Yosuke stares dumbly at the screen, the muted greens of his messenger casting his face in pale hues and reflecting off of his orange rimmed reading glasses. After he takes a moment to digest the wrong numbers answer, he snorts to himself and replies.

 

xxx-xxx-1852 

_ 12:40pm _

_ Yeah well you knw weird things. Jiraya. _

 

He stares at the screen for a second, chewing on his bottom lip before his thumb taps the backspace a few times, then holds it down until the text disappears entirely.

He tries again.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:40pm _

_ whats your name? Jiraya. _

 

It feels weird. Asking for the stranger’s name, maybe too personal. But Yosuke has already given his, and at least then he will have a contact in his phone instead of a series of numbers.

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:42pm _

_ Hmmm I don’t think you’re supposed to tell your name to strangers you meet over the phone. _

 

Yosuke takes a moment to look vaguely offended before he begins tapping away with vigor.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852  _

_ 12:43pm _

_ What no fair. I told you my name. Jiraya. _

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431  _

_ 12:43pm _

_ Yes but I never asked. You told me anyways :) _

 

Yosuke huffs a sigh, and Chie looks over from where she’s handing Caramel Frappucino her coffee long enough to cast Yosuke a curious glance that he returns with a wink and a thumbs up.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852  _

_ 12:43pm _

_ u guessed tho. thats the same thing. Jiraya. _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:44pm _

_ Is it?  _

 

Yosuke glares at the screen before his lips curl into a devious smile, an idea hitting him as he types out a reply.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852  _

_ 12:44pm _

_ Fine. I’m calling you partner. Jiraya. _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:44pm _

_ Partner? _

 

Yosuke puts the phone down next to his hand, taking a drink and tapping along with his music while he tries to reassure himself that his “good idea” wasn’t actually weird. He can call wrong number Parter. After all, this is the second conversation they’ve had and Yosuke decides that he really should have a name to associate with the number.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:46pm _

_ well its btr than wrong numbr. Plus youv been helping me w my exams. So thats kind of liek a study partner rite? Jiraya. _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:48pm _

_ You have terrible spelling for someone who's in University. Are you going to start asking for my help with that too? Also, I’ll tell you my name if you really want to know, Yosuke.  _

 

Yosuke feels his cheeks warm with blush, and he’s not sure if it’s from Partner critiquing his spelling or calling him by his name. No. It’s definitely the spelling thing, Yosuke wouldn’t get flustered by someone using his name. Especially not some stranger over text. 

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:48pm _

_ I DO NOT. u just spell evrything out like an old man.  _

_ xxx-xxx-1852  _

_ 12:48pm _

_ and its too l8 now. Ive already changd it in my contacts. ur partner now. Jiraya. _

 

He finishes updating the contact and sets his phone on the table, laying it on his notes like a paper weight before sliding his chair back and reclining in his seat. 

 

_ Xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:54pm _

_ I wouldn’t be making fun at the person who's been answering your exam questions. I could be giving you the wrong answers. _

 

“Yosuke, breaks over. Unless you’re volunteering to work late!” Chie pipes up from over the counter, waving a clean apron in her hands that he guesses means he’s back on front. 

Yosuke slides his books back into his bag and scoots back his seat, hastily typing out one more message.

 

xxx-xxx-1852 

_ 12:55pm _

_ Haha. alrite partner i actually gtg. work. Jiraya. _

 

_ Partner  _

_ 12:56pm _

_ I’ll be here when you’re off. _

 

Yosuke snorts, pocketing his phone and swiping the fresh apron off the counter. 

He wonders what kind of coffee Partner would order, while he finishes his shift. Probably something sophisticated. Chai latte? No. That’s the kind of drink for someone who does yoga at six in the morning. Yosuke is fairly certain partner is guy, and probably not the kind that does yoga. He could be an espresso macchiato kind of person, they can be really cool. Or really annoying. And Yosuke imagines Partner has simpler tastes.Black coffee is a bit too simple. And Yosuke personally hates it. Even on ice. He can’t imagine Partner’s tastes are too different from his own. 

Eventually he settles on green tea with honey. It’s not his personal favorite. But it’s something someone smart would drink. Someone who has simple tastes but wears nice clothes. It’s also the cheapest thing on the menu. He smiles to himself as he imagines Partner coming in and ordering a drink, neither of them would even recognize each other. They’ve only ever talked twice. But being able to pin Partner with a drink makes him seem a little more real, and Yosuke decides he’ll text him after work.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't normally update in this rapid of succession, but I wanted to get a good base for the story laid out for you guys so I don't feel the need to rush my updates. 
> 
> I actually don't drink coffee, so all the little coffee quirks are credit to a blog I found online by Erin Easter. All witty coffee profiling goes to that >>
> 
> There will be some chapters that just consist of texts between these two nerds, others will jump between Yu and Yosuke's perspective. I don't have a betta rn and Yosuke's text lingo hurts my eyes so I apologize for any spelling errors that I miss at first, I'll try to go back and fix them later. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed! More to come!


	3. Really it's Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's probably a good amount of spelling errors and shit in this chapter, but honestly it's a really long update and I just spent like two hours grinding it out while I could be sleeping, and I don't have a beta so I'm just going to go ahead and post this and then go back and fix it up tomorrow.  
> That being said just... ignore everything.

 

Unfortunately Kanji calls out sick two hours before the end of Yosuke’s shift. He initially offerers to come in regardless, but the idea of Kanji sneezing on all the pastries or coughing in someones drink is enough incentive for Yosuke to offer to cover the extra shift, Kanji has covered for Yosuke on more than one occasion too, so he figures in a way he owes him anyways. The downside to this is that on Saturdays the coffee shop stays open until 3 am, it sits less than a block from the city’s largest university, and the customer traffic maintains a pretty steady rhythm until about one in the morning, half an hour before Kanji’s shift ends. By 1:15 the crowd has died down to only a few clusters of students, some snickering and flicking sandwich crumbs at each other while others sit at their own tables, eyes ringed by dark circles, a coffee grasped desperately in one hand while the other shakily types on a laptop. 

Chie decides to let Yosuke leave fifteen minutes early, he’s been working since nine this morning, so when she gives him the okay to leave Yosuke doesn't hesitate to peel off his apron and grab his bag from the back. At 1:23am he’s slinging the orange messenger bag over his back and shouldering through the coffee shop’s front door, slipping his reading glasses on in hopes the additional sharpness to his vision will help keep his eyelids from drooping so much. 

Typically Yosuke just walks the six or so blocks from his apartment to work, but he’s been on his feet all day and the subway trains are usually vacant this early in the morning. He walks half a block to the nearest train station, sliding the subway card that he’s only used twice since he moved here a year ago, once when he had first moved into his new apartment in the city and needed to get the bags of miscellaneous lamps, cooking utensils, and small furnishings back to his new place without walking ten blocks with arms full of boxes and bags, and again now. 

The train has him home by the time his phone reads 1:55am, and Yosuke stumbles up the stairs to his apartment before jamming his key into the lock on his door and wrenching it once, hard, to the left. The door swings open with only slight resistance, and Yosuke trudges to his bedroom and promptly collapses on his futon, stained apron and bag dropped haphazardly at the door. He’s half tempted to just fall asleep with his clothes still on, but comfort wins over laziness and he manages to at least kick off his jeans. They land with a thud on the floor, reminding Yosuke that he had left his phone in his pants. He flips over and reaches blindly for the floor, fingers ghosting over the hardwood until they find his pants and he pulls his phone from his back pocket. He taps the screen and blinks against the sudden too bright illumination of the screen, hissing out an irritated breath before sliding his thumb and unlocking the screen. 

Two new messages.

 

_ Partner _

_ 10:05pm _

_ You’re nice to talk to, Yosuke. _

 

_ 10:21pm _

_ Goodnight. _

 

Yosuke blinks slowly at the messages, staring at Partner’s text long enough for the screen to timeout and his phone to slip limply from his sleeping fingers. 

 

**********

 

Someone’s trying to break in.

This is Yosuke’s first thought when he hears the rapid  _ bang, bang, bang _ from his front door, and it seems the most reasonable conclusion when he jolts upright in bed, caramel hair a matted disarray of tangles that blur his vision in one eye. He looks to the window across from the futon and blinks away the sleep from his eyes. The sun is out, so it can’t be too early, but he’s still more tired than he should be, and Sunday is the only day he can sleep in before his school week starts, so Yosuke decides to take his chances with the burglar and drop his head back onto the futon, covering his face with a pillow. 

 

_ “Yosuke wake up! It’s Chie! I brought breakfast.” _

 

Yosuke growls. More knocking follows, and he  _ knows _ he can’t go back to sleep now because Chie isn’t the type to get the message. He waves one hand in the air tiredly, a pointless gesture to go away that makes little sense considering there’s a hallway and door separating them, but Yosuke is  _ tired  _ and not at all a morning person and really he did Chie a favor by staying late last night so she should at least leave him alone. 

 

_ “Naoto and Yukiko are here too. Hurry up and open the door before we eat all the food.” _

 

That doesn’t make him want to open the door any more, but by the time Chie yells again Yosuke has already rolled out of his futon and onto the floor, stumbling to his feet and grabbing a pair of day old sweats from next to his desk. At least he slept in a shirt last night. He hops down the hall, one leg caught in the leg of his pants, shouting back at Chie that he’s “coming dammit”, along with a few other choice things that are more for his ears than hers, as he  stumbles to the door and tightens the drawstring at his hip. 

 

“What dammit? Do you have any idea how early it is?” Yosuke grouches, one hand scratching at his side while he cracks open the door and irritably blinks at the trio.

 

The girls stare at each other for a moment, confused glances stole between each of them before Chie lifts up a plastic bag and wiggles it in his face.

 

“Yosuke, it’s almost noon.” Naoto expresses slowly, and Yosuke goes to grab his phone from his pocket to check the time before he remembers he left it in his room.

 

“Besides, I brought you food. I wanted to say thanks for picking up that shift last night. With exams coming up we’ve been a lot busier in the evening than usual.” 

 

Chie smiles broadly, shouldering past Yosuke with the food as he mutters his protests of annoyance. Yukiko follows behind her, toeing off her shoes as both girls walk into the kitchen and Chie sets the bag on the counter. They are followed finally by Naoto, who at least has the good graces to look apologetic for barging into his home. 

 

Yosuke shuts the door and trails the girls to the kitchen, leaning over Chie’s shoulder to see what they brought before she sends him away with a pair of chopsticks to the face. He ends up leaning against the front door, in his living room, banished from the kitchen as Chie and Yukiko begin unpacking containers of ginger pork, natto, rice, and other assorted foods that he makes sure they promise they didn’t cook themselves.

 

“Don’t worry, they picked it all up on the way over.” Naoto affirms from her seat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone before shooting Yosuke what has to be the third apologetic glance. 

 

“Couldn’t you have told me you were coming over?” Yosuke grumbles, glancing into the kitchen where Yukiko is now perched on the counter and kicking her feet on his cabinets.

 

“I wanted it to be a surprise. Yukiko found out I was stopping by and wanted to tag along, and we passed Naoto on the way. It’s not a big deal, Yosuke. You’re supposed to say  _ thank you. _ ”

 

“I would have been a lot more thankful for more sleep.” He mutters, pushing himself off the wall and walking down the hall to his bedroom. He kicks at the blankets until his phone rolls out of a knot of bed sheets by the foot of the futon, picking it up and walking back into the kitchen in time to have a plate of food thrust at his hands.

“Here you go!” Chie grins, taking her own plate and pulling a water out of his fridge. “Why are these warm?”

 

“Th-appliances dun always wurf.” Yosuke mumbles behind a mouthful of rice, and Chie frowns at the water before shrugging and elbowing past him.

 

The four of them settle down at the kotatsu, Naoto the only one not eating as she pulls some papers from her bag and spreads them across the table.

 

“I hope you don’t mind if I go over some work while I’m here? I have to do a case study for class.” Naoto doesn’t look up from the papers while she speaks, and Yosuke just shrugs in agreement as he shovels more rice and ginger pork into his mouth.

 

He almost asks what she’s working on, but Naoto is studying at the police academy in the Okina’s downtown area, so he assumes it’s just another one of her the cases picked up in her free time. She’s had plenty of experience working as a part time detective before, but she recently decided she wanted to get an actual degree in line with her work. Chie’s taking classes at the police academy as well, she met Naoto there, although most of her classes are taken at Okina’s University. 

 

Yosuke listens to Yukiko and Chie chat while he digs his phone out of his pocket, leaning back on one hand and checking his inbox. He sees the text from Partner and remembers that he fell asleep, shooting off a quick text while Chie asks Naoto if she’s seen Kanji since he came down sick.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 11:34am _

_ hey partner, sry I ended up pcking up a shft last nite and workin l8. Thx for helpn me on my break ystrday. Ur rlly savin my ass in these classes  Jiraya. _

 

“-I stopped by yesterday to make sure he was taking care of himself. He says it’s only one of those twenty four hour colds so I didn’t do a whole lot of investigating.” 

 

“Nah, it’s cool. I was just wondering if you knew how bad it was. I’m sure he’ll let me know in advance if he’s still not better before his next shift.”

 

“Maybe we can cook him dinner tomorrow! I know a good curry recipe! I heard spicy things can help clear up your sinuses- maybe we can had some wasabi? Or we could crush up some dried peppers and add that too? Or-”

 

“Yukiko, I’m sure he’ll be fine by than. It didn’t seem that bad.” Naoto finally looks up from her paperwork, long enough to give Yukiko a wide eyed glance and assure her that cooking for  _ anyone  _ is really not necessary.

 

“Yeah, poisoning him is just going to make it worse-” Yosuke snorts when his phone vibrates in his lap, and he swipes open the screen while Chie and Yukiko berate him about their cooking.

 

_ Partner _

_ 11:47am _

_ Not a problem. I didn’t realise coffee shops stayed open that late? _

 

Yosuke smiles as he types out a response.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 11:47am _

_ Haa I wish we didnt. But th stores like rite nxt to my college so we stay opn l8r durn midterms. Jiraya. _

 

_ Partner _

_ 11:48am _

_ Ah, that makes sense. You’re in University. What are you majoring in? _

 

Yosuke swallows thickly, reaching for Chie’s water bottle and sticking out his tongue when she slaps his hand away. Yukiko and Chie are sharing curry recipes, and Naoto looks like she’s trying not to get sick from listening to the ingredients alone. Yosuke reads over the text one more time, trying to decide if telling Partner anymore personal information is okay. 

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 11:50am _

_ R u sure we should be telln each othr stuff liek that? _

 

_ Partner _

_ 11:50am _

_ Yosuke, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. I agree, we probably shouldn’t get too personal.  _

 

_ 11:51am _

_ I just figured it would be nice to know a little bit more about you. You seem interesting.  _

 

_ 11:55am _

_ Sorry. I don’t want to seem presumptuous. And I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. _

 

Yosuke feels his face grow hot, and when Chie asks him something he dumbly mumbles out a “yes” before returning his attention to his phone.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 11:57am _

_ Busines. Jiraya. _

 

_ Partner _

_ 11:58am _

_ Interesting. I didn’t take you for a business man. _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 11:58am _

_ Whats that supsed to mean? Jiraya. _

 

_ Partner _

_ 11:59am _

_ You just seem very sensitive. _

 

_ 11:59am _

_ That’s not the right word… expressive? Business is just a very wonted option. You strike me as more creative than that. _

 

_ 12:00pm _

_ I’m currently studying law. _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:01pm _

_ Idk law seems prety boring 2. And trust me, it wasnt my frst choice. Jiraya. _

 

_ Partner _

_ 12:02pm _

_ I consider myself a very ordinary person. _

 

_ 12:02om _

_ What was your first choice? _

 

“Yosuke?”

 

Yosuke jumps in his seat, phone dropping into his lap as he looks up to see Chie staring at him inquisitively. 

 

“I was asking if you still wanted to pick up some hours next weekend?” She pauses, glancing at where his phone disappeared under the table, “Hey, who’re you talking to anyways? You keep smiling. It’s kind of creepy.”

 

Yosuke feels his face flush, and his hand tightens on the phone in his lap defensively, Naoto is now watching him curiously too.

 

“N-no one! I’m just uh… looking up the name to a song.”

 

“Nu uh. You were texting someone. I saw you. Why are you being all secretive?”

 

Chie sounds accusatory, and she reaches over the table on her elbows, Yosuke throws his fisted hand in the air, phone clenched between white knuckles as he waves it out of her reach.

 

“It’s nothing okay! Really I was just checking on Kanji.”

 

“Like you would do that.”

 

“Well I don’t want to have to cover anymore of his shifts this week!”

 

Chie and Yosuke have engaged in a shouting match, the girl practically climbing onto the table to grab at the phone in his hands. Yosuke stands up, jolting the kotatsu and sidestepping Chie, who is climbing to her feet as well.

 

“I agree with Yosuke, it’s none of our business who he texts.” Naoto states, although she doesn’t make any move to defend him from Chie’s advances.

 

“See listen to Naoto! At least she has respect for people’s-  _ umph! _ ”

Yosuke falls to his knees, phone flying through the air and into Chie’s hands as Yosuke grabs for his crotch. Chie gives him a snide look before unlocking his phone, smiling smugly when the screen doesn’t prompt her for a password.

 

“ _ Fuck _ \- Chie what the hell? You can’t just break into my house and kick me in the-”

 

“Who’s “Partner”?” Chie asks innocently, fingers scrolling through the text messages as Yosuke rolls to one side and hides his face in the carpet, he’s in too much pain to put up a fight, instead hoping that maybe one of the stains on the floor will swallow him up.

 

“It’s no one,  _ okay? _ Just some wrong number that I texted on accident. It’s uh- a girl!” His voice is muffled by the carpet his admission weak even as he tries to smother it with confidence. Naoto shuffles on the floor uncomfortably, he’s grateful at least that she doesn’t condone this invasion of privacy.

 

“A girl, huh?” Chie flips back a few more messages, seemingly unconvinced. “Yosuke, you gave her your  _ name. _ Are you sure you should be telling that stuff to a stranger?” 

 

Chie is still swiping through the texts, and Yosuke is sure that his face is hot enough to catch the floor on fire. He rolls himself into a ball in a petulant demonstration of his discomfort.

 

“Listen to Naoto and mind your own damn  _ business _ -”

 

“Actually Yosuke-senpai, I have to agree with Chie here, it doesn’t seem like a good idea to be giving personal information to a stranger.”

 

Yukiko nods along, glances over at Chie as she steps around the table to hand the phone to Naoto, who takes it and scrolls through the messages with new interest. 

 

“Interesting, you’ve told them you work at a coffee shop as well.” Naoto hums in thought, and Yosuke finally picks himself up from ground and crawls back to his seat, glaring idly at his food in defeat. He’s suddenly lost his appetite. If only Chie had just gone away and let him sleep in.

 

“Look, it’s just some girl okay. It’s not like I gave her my  _ address _ . And if things get weird or too personal all I have to do is delete the number.”

 

Chie crosses her arms and casts him a critical glance, looking every bit like a parent listening to a child lie about sneaking out.

 

“Yosuke, we just care about you. Be careful, okay? There’s a lot of weird people out there.” Yukiko speaks up, her voice much softer than the other two girls.

 

He sighs, unable to focus his ire on Yukiko, who is simply giving him a supportive smile as she begins stacking up the plates from breakfast. Naoto nods slowly in agreement, setting down the phone- seemingly settled with her investigation- and sliding it towards Yosuke who snatches it up protectively.

After a few more minutes of lecturing the girls grab their things and leave, Naoto saying that she needs to finish a case, and Yukiko and Chie making plans to get coffee together. 

The door shuts behind them with a click, leaving Yosuke alone and staring at the “compose message” button on his phone. 

He turns off the screen and slips it in his pocket instead.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to everyone leaving comments and kudos! You guys make sharing this story fun! I apologize again for spelling errors, I'll get to them when I'm not brain dead! Hah.
> 
> This is going to be a long fic, and it's been fun to write so far so I really hope you guys enjoyed it! Feel free to leave feedback, and I'll try to have more up soon!


	4. Empty Shelves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *lays update out with a flourish*

The next few days pass Yosuke by in a blur. Monday morning brings more classes at the University, where Yosuke sits in a seat in an auditorium full of a hundred other students all dressed in pressed button up shirts and well tailored dress pants. Yosuke sits in the back, as usual, wearing a pair of slightly worn red jeans, a plain white v neck with red trim, with his headphones slung around his neck, and his glasses sitting crookedly on his nose. Crookedly, because Yosuke has opted to prop his cheek up on his fist, eyes half lidded as he listens along with the lecturer about accounting and the likelihood of a business succeeding in the first five years. His week schedule doesn’t leave much room for socializing, outside of when Chie calls Yosuke in to work Tuesday because now that Kanji is better Teddie is sick, and really she’s owes him more than some cheap breakfast and a kick to the balls by now.

His classes range from 6am to 5pm, and 9am to 7pm, rotating back and forth between the four days he has classes in some monotonous rhythm that leaves him with rings around his eyes and a puddle of drool beneath where his chin rests on the desk when Thursday rolls around. He does his best to avoid his friends outside of work, although when he works Tuesday, Chie, blessedly, doesn’t mention the wrong number he’s texting, and since no one else bothers him about it he assumes she hasn’t had the time to tell Kanji or Teddie (thank God). He doesn’t see Naoto at all, which he is especially thankful for because Chie was riled up enough to believe that the person Yosuke is texting is a girl, but he has a hard time believing that the detective was actually convinced. Not that Yosuke particularly cares, himself, but admitting out loud that he’s almost positive Partner is a guy just seems significantly less innocent than telling his friends it’s just some cute girl that occasionally helps him with his studying, and the last thing he wants is to give Chie more ammunition for her constant meddling.

He hasn’t texted stranger since his interrogation on Sunday, anyways. Namely because everytime he opens his messenger is immediately followed by an uncomfortable churning of his stomach and Naoto, Yukiko, and Chie’s concerned voices bouncing through his head. 

It can’t be  _ that  _ weird. Yosuke knew from the beginning, the first time he decided to text Partner back instead of holding down the contact and deleting it from his phone, that their exchange wasn’t exactly normal. But Partner doesn’t seem like a bad guy either, as far as Yosuke can tell from their limited contact. 

He’s sitting on his couch on Thursday evening, his classes done for the week and his phone sitting limply in his palm. Partner has texted him three times this week, and every time Yosuke told himself he needed to pay attention to his lecture, or suddenly remembered that he hadn’t done the dishes, or that he hadn’t listened to his current favorite song yet that day. He squeezes his eyes shut before opening the texts for the first time, flipping back and forth between them and biting his lower lip.

 

_ Tuesday _

_ Partner _

_ 12:03pm  _

_ How are exams going?  _

 

_ Wednesday _

_ Partner _

_ 8:04pm _

_ Maybe I should take up painting or something. I don’t have many hobbies outside of work or school. My apartment could probably use some art on the walls anyways. _

 

_ 8:22pm _

_ I tried folding some cranes to put on the shelves, but they don’t work as very good decorations. I don’t know what to do with all of these. _

 

_ 8:22pm _

_ image.att. _

 

Attached is a photo, which Yosuke apparently hadn’t even noticed until now. His eyebrows raise in surprise, and he adjusts his glasses while he waits for the image to download. 

His screen flashes black for a moment before it lights up with the image of a plain white wall, against the wall is a single grey couch, no pillows aside from a very neatly folded throw that rests on the right armrest. Above the couch is a black shelf, completely empty aside from what has to be at least a hundred crisply folded paper cranes of various colors, each sitting perfectly in line with the next, their bodies all lined up and forming a tight multicolored wave of cranes of varying sizes.

Yosuke feels his stomach unclench as he laughs, and he suddenly feels silly for avoiding texting Partner all week. He opens up a new message and types in a response, feeling better than he has since he texted Partner last Sunday. 

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 7:31pm _

_ I admit tht ur good at oragmi but mybe you should buy sum cds or posters or sumthin instead. Jiraya. _

 

Yosuke casts a glance at the kotatsu that sits in the middle of his small living room, sticking his tongue out at the empty space where Chie sat when she went through his texts with Partner. It takes a few minutes for Partner to respond, and when the phone buzzes and chirps on his stomach Yosuke immediately sits up and opens the text.

 

_ Partner _

_ 7:52pm _

_ Posters, huh? I’m not sure I’d even know where to start.  _

 

_ 7:53pm _

_ I’m glad you texted back. I don’t talk to many people honestly, I enjoy our conversations. _

 

Yosuke feels his cheeks heat up and he stuffs a pillow over his face to cool it down, letting the cool fabric press to his cheeks until his breath warms it up. He feels a little weird still, about continuing to talk to a stranger, but he enjoys their conversations too, dammit, and it’s nice to talk to someone without them knowing you well enough to make judgements based on what they already know. 

He lays on the couch for another minute or so, trying to think of how to explain to Partner the basics of decorating a room. But since he doesn’t know any of Partner’s interests, besides paper cranes, that is, he finally concludes that the best way to explain it is to give him an example. 

Rolling off the couch and onto the balls of his feet Yosuke pads across the room, stopping in front of his small flat screen and opening the camera app on his phone _.  _ He takes a moment to shuffle across the floor, trying to find an angle with the best lighting, before pressing the capture button and smiling at the shutter noise that produces an exact image of his living room wall. The apartment complex has a pretty strict rule about changing the aesthetics of the units, apparently they’re really set on keeping the grungy did-someone-die-in-here- appearance. But Yosuke has done a good job at covering the apartments more obvious flaws. The picture is zoomed out enough to show the top half of his tv, the bookshelf that sits to its right side, and the orange shelving that’s secured to the wall and frames the left and upper half of the tv. On the shelves are stacks of magazines, cds, some framed music memorabilia including a guitar pick and some miscellaneous album covers, a coffee mug that reads “here’s a cup of calm the fuck down” (a housewarming gift from Chie) and a few medium stacks of dvd’s and video games. On the bookshelf a pile of gaming controllers laying at odd angles, a dvd case titled “Trial of the Dragon” is propped behind them, another gift from Chie after she lent it to him and he proceeded to break it the day he  _ actually _ fell into a trash can. The neck of his acoustic guitar can be seen peaking out of the bottom right corner. 

Yosuke smiles at the picture, deciding it looks home-y enough to get his point across, before selecting it and sending it off in a text. 

  
  


_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 7:56pm _

_ image.att. _

 

_ 7:56pm _

_ like this. Idk just get sum stuff to make it look less empty. It looks lik u just movd in. Jiraya. _

 

_ 7:58pm _

_ Sry it took so lng to respond. scools ben kickn my ass this week. Jiraya. _

 

He adds the last text as an afterthought, and wills his cheeks to cool off as he flops back onto the couch.

 

_ Partner _

_ 8:01pm _

_ I see what you mean now. You do have a lot of stuff. Would it surprise you if I told you I’ve been living in this apartment for a year now?  _

 

_ 8:03pm _

_ I guess I’ve just never been good at making things my own. When I moved here it was something I had been planning for months, and I still ended up with only one box of clothes to bring with me. Maybe I don’t get attached to normal items like people are supposed to? _

 

_ 8:04pm _

_ You wanted to be a music major, didn’t you? It seems like you like music a lot more than business. _

 

Yosuke chuckles at the phone, surprised that his interests can be so easily conveyed just through what he keeps on his living room walls. He sits up on the couch and his stomach rumbles in protest. Yosuke sets the phone down and walks over to the kitchen, setting some water to boil and pulling a cup of instant ramen out of one of his cabinets. It takes five minutes for the water to boil and Yosuke to prep the ramen before he settles back into the living room and sets his chopsticks on the lid while the noodles steam. 

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 8:10pm _

_ That obv. Huh? Yea, i was going to majr in music. But my parnts kept insitng that it was a dead end degree. Busns is just the safr optn i gues, plus i still play in my free time. Jiraya. _

 

_ Partner _

_ 8:15pm _

_ If it’s what you love than you should do it. I wish I had something I was that passionate about. Law is just something I’m good at. _

 

Yosuke raises the chopsticks to his mouth, reading Partner’s response while he sits on the couch with noodles dripping down his chin. He glances at the guitar across the room and then the stack of business books that lay with his laptop and bag next to the door. With a sigh he returns his attention to his dinner, slurping straight out of the cup before he replies.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 8:15pm _

_ yeah but ur a freakn genius. If ur as smart as u seem u could probably do anythng. At least ur good at sumthin practical. Jiraya. _

 

He finishes up the rest of his dinner while waiting for a reply, at 9 Yosuke takes his trash to the kitchen and his phone to the bedroom, pulling off his pants and curling into himself in the bed sheets. He sends off one more text before falling asleep.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 9:11pm _

_ I like tlkng to u 2 partner. Jiraya. _

  
  


__________

  
  


_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:35pm _

_ wht kind of coffee do u drink? Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 12:37pm _

_ Planning on asking me on a date? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 12:37pm _

_ Ha. Vry funny. No just curious. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 1:00pm _

_ Why? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:02pm _

_ y wat? Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 1:05pm _

_ Why are you curious? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:05pm _

_ i wrk at a coffee shop. i was wondrn wat knd u would ordr. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 1:06pm _

_ I thought we said no personal information? And does it matter? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:07pm _

_ I alrdy told u my name, besides, u ASKED. Its not like i tld u the adrss of where I work. Jiraya. _

 

_ 1:08pm _

_ and of crse it matters. u can tell a lot about a person by wat coffee thy drink. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx4431 _

_ 1:10pm _

_ So you’re a coffee contisure? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:11pm _

_ No. I was just wondering. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 1:32pm _

_ What if I don’t like coffee? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:35pm _

_ Well wat DO u like? Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ 1:36pm _

_ If I liked skinny lattes? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:36pm _

_ thats still coffee. Jiraya. _

 

_ 1:37pm _

_ Youd b a woman. And youd probbly wear a lot of sweat pants. Jiraya. _

 

__________

 

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:38pm _

_ You’re good at this.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the bits of the story that are JUST text conversation can be interpretted as fitting in anywhere in the story, some chapter will probably just be text talk between these two, but I wanted to slip in one conversation since I need more of these two in my life.  
> The next chapter will probably be in Yu's perspective, give the poor guy some spotlight.
> 
> I was actually a business major a couple of semesters back. It was horribly not for me and I ended up barely passing any of my classes that semester. I feel you, Yosuke. I feel you.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this update! These two are way too much fun.
> 
> Also a quick ohmygoshthanks to everyone commenting and getting in touch with me. Knowing that you guys are enjoying this is just the best. More to come and thanks!


	5. The Who is Yosuke Hanamura Dating Investigation Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So honestly guys this one needs some editing. I plan on going back through the whole story tomorrow and fixing layout, so "bear" with me for now (hahh).  
> I also changed how the text conversations are layed out, because staring at them was starting to hurt my head.

 

Yu has never been more confused in his life. He’s standing in front of a large blackboard, flavors and sizes written in a foreign language forming a puzzling maze of what he assumes is a menu, and messy chalk drawings of coffees and espresso cups are framing each corner. 

 

“What’s good?” 

 

He’s standing in front of the barista, a short and skinny woman with large brown eyes and cropped black hair that brushes her jaw. She uses one hand to press down the wrinkles in her apron, the stiff black fabric sporting  _ Aiya’s _ in large white font that curls across her chest. She looks every bit like she belongs here, dark brown eyes going up and down him skeptically while she thinks of a drink to recommend. He imagines Yosuke would do the same thing if they ever got coffee together, refusing to abandon his investigation until he ordered what he thinks would be the perfect drink for Yu. He’d probably be right too. 

 

“Have you ever had a caramel frap?” The girl asks plainly, as if having to take the time to recommend a drink is somehow inconveniencing her. Yu shakes his head slowly in response, reaching for the wallet in the back of his jeans as the barista punches the order into the register, 450 yen. 

 

Yu thanks her and walks over to the nearest table, pulling out his phone while he waits for his coffee. He leans back in the chair, adjusting the collar on his polo shirt and smoothing a hand down the soft white fabric. After a few minutes the girl at the register calls him over, handing him a blended drink with a neat swirl of whipped cream on the top. He bows deeply and takes the drink back to his table, sitting back down and letting the sun warm him through the window. He opens his last text from Yosuke, reading it over and smiling, taking a drink of his coffee before he winces at the too sweet burn it leaves in his throat.

 

_ Yosuke _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:33am _

_ Ive got it. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:35am _

_ Got what?  _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ Yosuke _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:35am _

_ Ur coffee. im guessing green tea frappucino. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:37am _

_ Why? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ Yosuke _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:38am _

_ because its traditional. kind of. And u probbly watch a lot of anime. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:38am _

_ I do not and you’re wrong. _

 

_ 11:38am _

_ I actually drink a latte, no foam. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ Yosuke _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:40am _

_ I knew you were high maintenance. Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:41am _

_ What about a mocha? _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ Yosuke _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:42am _

_ just a mocha? Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:42am _

_ Yes.  _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ Yosuke _

_ 11:42am _

_ Do u even DRINK coffee? Jiraya. _

 

_ __________ _

 

_ xxx-xxx-4431 _

_ Tuesday _

_ 11:43am _

_ I told you I didn’t! _

  
  


_ “Narukami-Senpai?”  _ Yu drops his phone on the table and jerks up, meeting the stare of a girl with large brown eyes framed by neatly curled copper pigtails. She’s wearing a short white skirt and pink blouse, stiletto heels making her tower over Yu in a predatory way that her gaze is not helping.

 

The girl doesn’t hesitate to grab the empty seat at his table, her own coffee grasped between her hands. It’s something green and iced but Yu doesn’t know coffee well enough to tell what she’s drinking.

 

“Uh- I’m sorry but.. Do I know you?”

 

He smothers his confusion with the most polite tone of voice and smile he can muster, years of law school having provided him with an excellent mask of warm civility. The girl stares hawkishly at him for a moment, and he is almost worried he has offended her, but then she begins laughing loudly, the sun catching on her dangling earrings and glaring brightly before it’s smothered by her bouncing copper pigtails.

 

“Oh of course, it’s been almost two years I think. The last time we talked you had just moved to the city! I’m Risette, we met at a bar your first night in town!”

 

Yu Narukami has four contacts in his phone, including: the emergency contact line, his work, Yosuke, and Risette, a loud and overly friendly girl he had met at a bar on the first night he moved to Okina. 

Yu had never considered himself a bar kind of guy, honestly he’s not sure he’s even been to one since the night he met Risette, and that encounter had been mostly spurred on by the adrenaline of having moved into his first place away from his estranged and emotionally abusive parents. They had done a good job of keeping a tight leash on him even though they were constantly hundreds of miles away, making sure that anytime Yu got too comfortable where they sent him to stay that they could be on the next flight home just in time to pluck him up from his new life, settle him in somewhere else, and leave again. His parents had every intention of their prodigal son living up to the Seta name, ensuring that he went to the nicest schools and had the best teachers.

The plan was to keep him moving around enough that by the time he entered University he would feel like he had seen enough of the world and settled back at home, attending Tokyo’s finest college. They had even gone far enough to offer him their loft while he attended, which didn’t mean much honestly because they were never home anyways and he’s fairly certain it was just the carefully rehearsed sort of “present” that would make their adult son feel like he had his own place. It didn’t go quite how they intended it, instead of staying in Tokyo and living up to his parent’s carefully planned agenda for his life, Yu packed up and took the first train as far away from them as he could get. Leaving a note and his phone and effectively cutting off all contact.

All that to say, Yu’s first night “on his own” consisted of him sitting at a bar in a foreign city, drinking something strong and cheap, mostly to spite his parents (who would roll over if they ever found their son in such a louche establishment) in the company of Risette. Who gave him her number and a spunky smile accompanied by an, “If you ever need anything let me know!”

 

“It’s good to see you, Rise.” Yu gives her another warm smile, trying to force the numbing thoughts of his parents from his mind with his most disarming grin. “I’m honestly surprised you remember me. I don’t think we’ve talked since my first night here.”

 

“Yeah, well you have one of those faces that’s hard to forget, y’know?” Risette twirls the straw of her drink, giving Yu another half lidded, lazy kind of smile. “What’re you drinking?”

 

Yu glances at his coffee, then back at Risette, hers looks much less sweet and he’s half tempted to grab it and wash the syrupy flavor from his mouth.

 

“Uh- caramel frappe… I think.”

 

Rise giggles and reaches across the table, pawing at his cup and sliding it to her side before she takes a long sip, a sticky red lipstick ring left encircling the top of the straw.

 

“It’s kind of girly, don’t you think?”

 

“It’s sweet.” Yu has a hard time hiding his distaste, nose wrinkling as he glances across the cafe to see if there's a water cooler behind the counter.

 

“Hey, I’m having a little get together at my apartment tonight, you should come along! There’ll be  _ much _ better drinks.” Rise gives him a hopeful look and reaches across the table to brush the palm that is resting overtop his phone. 

 

“Sure that sounds like fun.” 

 

It doesn’t really, parties are as much Yu’s thing as bars are, but when he initially began to shake his head no Rise’s face had fell into a childish pout, her pretty features dropping pitifully. Besides, he hasn’t really made any effort to get close to anyone since he moved to Okina, old habits die hard after all, and his recent introduction to Yosuke has left him feeling more optimistic about making friends than he’s felt in years.

 

Rise squeals, girlishly expressing her delight. And Yu gets up to throw his half finished frappe in the trash can as Rise scoots her chair back and follows him to the door.

 

“I’ll text you address, mkay? The party starts at eight, and it’s business casual. See you then, Yu!” She blows him a kiss with her palm before skipping out the door, copper pigtails swaying along with her.

 

Yu stares at the trash can in distaste, watching the frappe spill onto the garbage and wondering what Yosuke’s doing right now.

 

__________

 

“You’re going and that’s that.” 

 

“Look, I have to study. You’ve got me working tomorrow night and business classes are  _ hard  _ dude.”

 

Chie clucks her tongue disbelievingly, grabbing Yosuke by the wrist and pulling him down the hallway of his apartment, Yukiko trailing along behind him. 

 

“There’s gotta be something in here you can wear.” Chie opens up the bottom drawer of his dresser, looking at the crumpled boxers and sweatpants before grimacing and opening another. Yukiko is busy by his door, picking up the various pairs of sunglasses that sit in a pile on his nightstand before holding them over her eyes and giggling hysterically at the mirror hung on the bedroom door.

It’s not that Yosuke doesn’t like parties. Hell, he’s in college. Why wouldn’t he be up for a night of drinks and accidental hand slipping.  _ Especially _ at Risette’s place. But Yosuke isn’t dumb, and he also knows that while he’s been balancing all his classes and practice exams this week, he’s missed a lot of work. And during that time Chie told  _ everyone _ about Partner. So really he’s not missing a party as much as he’s missing a surprise interrogation

.

“Wear this Senpai!” Teddie twirls out of his closet, hands waving around a pair of red skinny jeans and a shirt, like they're dancing scarves, before he collapses on the bed next to Yosuke with a flourish.

 

“Who the hell let you in?” Yosuke grumbles, snatching the clothes from Teddie’s hands before holding them up and examining the outfit. It’s not a terrible choice honestly. The jeans are one of his favorite pairs. He’s had them since high school but he’s done a good job at not letting the wear and tear show, there’s only a small bit of fraying at the ankles, and Yosuke figures he can roll them up and make them look just fine. The shirt is a plain white v-neck with red cranes painted across the front. He figures he can slip on the black dress jacket he’s got hanging in the closet to dress it up a bit. He knows it’s there because he hasn’t worn it since he bought it. He liked that it looked like a suit jacket but felt like casual wear, the material lightweight and comfortable, he never found a use for it though, thus it ended up in the closet.

 

“Anyways, put those on and we’ll meet you outside, the party starts in twenty minutes and I’m not paying for a cab.” Chie grins triumphantly, snatching a pair of sunglasses off of Yukiko’s nose before pocketing them and leaving with her girlfriend in tow.

 

“I can stay in here and keep you company if you  _ want?”  _ Teddie wags his eyebrows, and Yosuke chucks a pillow at him before slamming the door.

 

__________

 

The music is loud. And not the good loud that thrums through your shoes and up your toes. Risette has a good voice, but if you play anything out of crappy speakers, loud enough, it starts to get grating. Yosuke grabs another drink and falls into a kitchen chair, elbows tucked in so that he doesn’t bump any of the numerous people crowding the space. He sips on his drink slowly, glad that if Risette won’t invest in a decent sound system she’ll at least pay for good beer. He pulls his headphones over his ears, turning the music up until the only indication of other music playing is the table, vibrating with bass, under his elbow.

 

He was hoping he could slip out before  _ everyone  _ arrived, because Yosuke knows the interrogation won’t start until all of his friends and coworkers, and whoever else Chie has blabbed to, shows up. But he’s been counting everyone he knows as they walk in, a silent tally of when to get the hell out. And when Naoto, the last person on his list of leave-before-this-person-shows-up, pops into the kitchen with a bottled water and takes a seat at the table next to him, Yosuke knows the gigs up.

 

“Good Evening Yosuke-Senpai.” Naoto mouths over the music, and Yosuke pulls his headphones down over his neck before the combination of his tasteful music mixed with Risette’s shitty bass becomes too much and he opts to just turn his music off.

 

“Hey, what’s up-”

 

“I now call into order the first meeting of the official Who Is Yosuke Dating Investigation Team!” Chie declares triumphantly over the music, slapping her hand down on the table as Yukiko, Kanji, Teddie, and herself all appear out of nowhere and settle down into seats around them.

 

“That’s kind of a long title, don’t you think?” Kanji mumbles, taking a sip from his drink before pulling out the seat next to Naoto.

 

“What about just the “Investigation Team”?” Yukiko chimes in helpfully, cheeks already stained a warm pink, Yosuke wonders how much she’s already drank.

 

“I don’t really think we need to give it a title at all?” Naoto adds, and Kanji nods in agreement.

 

“Chie did you tell  _ everyone  _ ?” Yosuke admonishes, even though he already knows the answer.

 

“Chie says you’re scoring with a hot babe!” Teddie proclaims, leaning in until he’s nudging Yosuke in the ribs with one pointed elbow.

 

Yosuke looks aghast, face flushing red as Chie snickers and mumbles break out across the table. He’d be concerned about the voice level of everyone in the group if it wasn’t for the fact that Risette’s loud music and all the crowds of people drinking and laughing and congesting all the hallways are muting the conversation anyways.

 

“I’m not  _ scoring  _ with anyone Teddie.”

 

“Yes, according to what we know, Yosuke hasn’t even met this stranger in person.” Naoto looks up from her drink long enough to stare at Yosuke’s phone, and he protectively swipes it off the table and away from her invading gaze.

 

“Yosuke, you know you shouldn’t talk to strangers.” Teddie scolds him, and Yosuke shoots him daggers with his eyes before his phone rings in his lap and his eyes jerk down.

 

_ Partner _

_ 9:32pm _

_ I went to a coffee shop today. _

__

Yosuke doesn’t hesitate to reply, grateful for a distraction as his thumbs dance under the table.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 9:32pm _

_ Oh rlly? Jiraya. _

 

“You’re talking to a girl and not scoring?”

 

_ “Look she’s just some girl, it doesn’t really-” _

 

“Honestly, Teddie, we’re not even sure it  _ is  _ a girl. Since he’s never met them, it could be anyone.”

 

Yosuke grinds his teeth, jaw flexing as he shoots Naoto an irritable glare.

 

_ Partner _

_ 9:50pm _

_ I got a caramel frappucino with extra drizzle. _

 

Yosuke chuckles, trying to imagine Partner shuffling awkwardly at a coffee counter and stumbling through an order.

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 9:51pm _

_ Did you have someone help you with that? Jiraya. _

 

“What do you think Kanji?”

 

“I couldn’t care less  _ who  _ Yosuke is scoring with.”

 

_ “I’m not scoring with anyone dammit.” _

 

_ Partner _

_ 9:52pm _

_ No. _

 

_ 9:52pm _

_ Yes. _

 

_ 9:52pm _

_ It was too sweet. It made my mouth burn. _

__

__________

 

_ xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 9:52pm _

_ You make poor life choices. Jiraya. _

 

Yosuke smiles at the screen, allowing Partner to take his mind off Chie, who is slandering his conversations with Partner by trying to poorly quote what she remembers from their texts.

 

“He calls them Partner and- Hey Yosuke, why are you smiling?”

 

Yosuke turns the phone off with a sudden swipe of his index finger, looking up with a red face as he slips it into his back pocket.

 

“Nothing!”

 

“Yosuke’s texting someone!” Teddie interjects, one hand over his mouth while the other pokes Yosuke in the cheek accusingly.

 

_ “Is that-?” _

 

“It’s nobody  _ dammit!  _ Now just leave it alone!” Yosuke snaps, standing up suddenly as his chair flips backwards and onto the floor.

 

He trips over the legs of the overturned chair while trying to disentangle himself from the group, face reddening in concurrence with his temper as he pushes away from the table and shoulders his way into the crowd, and away from the so called “Investigation Team”.

 

Risette’s apartment is hard to navigate when it’s packed full of students and musical artists and whoever else Rise could find on the street and sink her claws into. Eventually he spots the exit behind a particularly dense crowd of drunken party goers, and Yosuke steels his breathe before ducking and weaving his way through, managing to make it the last foot or so to the door before he ends up running face first into someone.

He hits them with a decent amount of force, earning a sharp gasp from the stranger, and in his ear he can hear the sloshing of a drink. Risette can be heard on his other side, yelping about how he  _ “Should be more careful, Yosuke.”  _ , and the stranger smothers her complaints with a low smooth voice, insisting it isn’t a big deal and that he didn’t spill any on himself. Yosuke ducks his head and mumbles a “thanks” before bolting out the door.

 

 

__________

 

 

Yu wants to text Yosuke. He knows there’s plenty of people he can be talking to, and Risette is hanging off of his arm and smiling with lips pink from some fruity drink, but all he can think about is how it would be much nicer to be drinking some coffee with Yosuke. Something warm and semi-sweet and Yosuke could analyze his personality based on how many squirts of syrup he orders.

 

He sends Yosuke a quick text, earning a pout from Rise when he pulls out his phone, and he shoots it off before stuffing the phone back in his pocket and asking her what she’s been up to the last two years.

 

Risette has apparently taken some pretty big leaps since he spoke to her in that disreputable bar his first night in town, if her surprisingly expensive looking flat, and the bubbly drink she slips into his hand, is any indicator. She’s talking about her most recent tour when his pocket vibrates, and Yu nods along with her stories, asking half processed questions while he smothers his grin with his drink and reads Yosuke’s text. The messages flow back and forth for a few more minutes before conversation halts on Yosuke’s end, and he waits just long enough to start typing in another message when a younger man with messy caramel hair comes barreling straight into him.

Luckily Yu is quick on his feet, and he steadies his drink while simultaneously calming down Rise, who looks like she’s about to explode from the sudden intrusion on their conversation. She whispers the man’s name haughtily, and Yu doesn’t catch it before the other boy his thanking Yu for his understanding and stumbling out of the door with a very red face. Yu decides it’s probably just another one of Risette’s drunk guests and asks Rise how many people she’s invited, phone sliding back into his pocket forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this update! Please leave feedback!


	6. Text Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahhh so this wasn't supposed to get an update today, but you guys are just leaving all this feedback and really honestly updating a day early isn't THAT big of a deal? Right? Right.  
> Anyways this chapter is just some text convo to work as filler, I have like 100000 conversations on my laptop between these two saves in drafts so I might as well put them to use.  
>  
> 
> Also wow, I just reread that last chapter and there were waaaayyyy more typos than I originally though. I was watching a rerun of a show with my partner and my mind wasn't completely with me, that being said I've gone back and rehashed some of it so hopefully it's a little more legible for you guys. Sorry about that!

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:25am_

_Are you busy?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:30am_

_im at wrk. but i can tlk Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:31am_

_image.att._

_(it’s a picture of coffee with a neatly swirled heart in the foam, the cup is sitting on top of a napkin on a black plastic table.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:35am_

_ur at Aiya’s. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

x _xx-xxx-4431_

_11:36am_

_How’d you know?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:36am_

_I recgnize the art. its not far frm where I work. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:37am_

_You could come join me?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:40am_

_Ha. Tht would be fun. we can try 2 find each other in the crowd Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:40am_

_I’ll just look for the guy on his phone._

 

____________

 

_xx-xxx-1852_

_11:41am_

_and ill just look 4 the guy that looks liek he has no clu wat hes drinking. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:43am_

_Touche._

 

 

__________

 

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_3:42pm_

_image.att._

_(A picture of a grey cat with a white spot over it’s left eye. It’s sitting on a concrete step and staring at the camera.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_3:42pm_

_a cat? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-431_

_3:45pm_

_Isn’t she beautiful?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_3:45pm_

_uhhh… i guess? Jiraya_

 

_3:50pm_

_u like cats partner? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_3:56pm_

_I love them._

 

_3:57pm_

_She has a collar. Do you think anyone would notice if I took her home with me? My apartment is no pets._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_3:57pm_

_Probbly not the best idea partner Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_4:00pm_

_I guess you’re right._

 

_4:00pm_

_Have you ever had a cat, Yosuke?_

 

_4:01pm_

_My parents never let me have one._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_4:01pm_

_Im more of a dog person Jiraya._

 

_4:25pm_

_Partner? Jiraya._

 

 

____________

 

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:15am_

_I’m at Aiya’s again._

 

_10:15am_

_image.att._

_(a picture of a coffee cup, an artfully crafted flower is swirled in the foam)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:16am_

_im surprised u havnt asked her 2 make a cat. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:16am_

_WAIT SHE CAN DO THAT?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:16am_

_uh… yeah? Its not hard. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:17am_

_So you can make one too?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:20am_

_well sure. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:21am_

_That’s sexy._

 

___________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:21am_

_ur not hard to please are you? Jiraya._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, these conversations can be interpreted as happening anytime in the story, although by this point Yu has already established that since they have matching area codes, they live in the same city.
> 
> ohgoshbigthanks to everyone commenting and getting in touch with me about this story! Reading your feedback is my favorite thing.  
> Another update will be up in a few days, like I said, I only posted this one because I have a ton of convos between these two saved in my docs and decided to pull a few as a surprise.  
> I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying, sharing your thoughts, and leaving feedback. Honestly knowing that other people are as interested in these nerds as I am is just the best thing ever to me.


	7. Headphones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really... Really need to stop. 
> 
> I have a job. I have things to do. I have classes.
> 
> *updates anyways*

Yu pops open the plastic lid on his coffee cup, smiling at the swirling foam cat that bobs back and forth in the coffee. He pulls out his phone and opens the camera, tilting the plastic to-go cup until the light from the window catches the rich colored liquid and the cat is perfectly angled towards the camera. He captures the picture and slides his phone back into his pocket, saved to his gallery to send Yosuke later.

“Narukami!” Yu snaps the lid back onto his coffee as Rise calls to him from across the cafe, her own, green iced beverage, clutched between her hand and the strap of her purse as she gives him a tight wave and crosses the dining area.

“Hey, Rise, it’s good to see you again.”

Yu smiles warmly, rotating his own cup in small circles and feeling the warmth of the hot liquid slosh around inside the cup. Rise sits down across from him, setting her pink leather bag on the table next to her and leaning forward on her elbows until he can taste the sweet drink on her lips. After the party at Risette’s apartment Yu had agreed to get lunch with her later that week, feeling like he’s able to talk to people outside of work for the first time since he moved.

“It’s good to see you too! I hope you haven’t eaten? I ordered us daifuku.”

Yu glances over to the counter where a barista is calling Risette’s name, she pushes her seat back and saunters over to the register, grabbing a plate with two rice cakes on it and walking back to the table before she sets it in between them. Yu picks up his piece and takes a bite, mouth filling with the sweet taste of anko that makes him suddenly glad he didn’t order something too sweet to drink.

“So where are you working now?” Rise picks up her own daifuku, taking a small bite before setting it back down and reaching for the straw of her drink with her tongue.  
“I’m mostly doing desk work at a law firm in downtown. The hours are kind of irregular, but it goes along with what I’m studying, and they should be able to get me a job right out of University when I graduate.”

“Law, huh Senpai? You must be pretty smart.” Rise winks, dipping her straw between two red lips. “Oh yeah, I wanted to say sorry again about the party the other night. You seemed kind of out of your element, that’s part of the reason I suggested we do this instead today.”

“It’s not a problem,” Yu smiles warmly, “I actually kind of enjoyed it. Just maybe make the drinks a little less strong next time.”

Yu brushes his bangs aside with one finger, palm skimming across where his head is still dully throbbing almost three days later. Rise laughs in agreement, and Yu turns his coffee cup in one hand, reading the tight font spelling “Aiya’s” that slants across the cup and under his thumb.

“I’m sorry again about that, I didn’t think anyone would get wasted enough to actually throw themselves at you.” Rise grins, amused by her double meaning.

“It was really no big deal.”

“Yeah but still, he should really be more careful. He’s always doing stuff like that.”

Yu’s phone buzzes in his pocket, and he fishes it out while making small talk with Rise, thoughts now focused on the new message in his inbox.

“So you knew him? It seems like there were a lot of people who just kind of showed up.”

 _Yosuke_  
_1:32pm_

Yu smiles at the screen, sliding the text open and hums along with whatever Rise is saying.

“-Yeah he’s a friend of some friends. I’m pretty sure they only brought him along so they could all bother him at once. He’s texting some girl he’s never met and they’re all pretty worried-”

 _1:32pm_  
_Image.att._

Yu nods at Rise, watching the image download with curiosity.

 _1:32_  
_Do u like the color of these? Jiraya_  
_Image.mms_.

Yu’s fingers clench around the coffee cup resting in his hand, and somewhere in the back of his mind he can feel hot frothy coffee explode from the foam cup. It drips down his wrist and puddles on the table, and Rise is exclaiming loudly, asking if he’s alright because surely spilling fresh coffee all over oneself is supposed to burn, but all Yu can focus on is the picture that is pulled open on his phone, silver eyes locked on the screen as if it might time out and disappear.  
The picture is of a pair of headphones, glossy grey with a bright orange circle on each of the ear pieces. A price sticker is stuck on the end of one ear cushion, but the angle is too sharp for Yu to see the price. And honestly, it’s not the ear phones that have his attention. It’s Yosuke’s neck.  
Yosuke’s neck, and Yosuke’s collar bone, pale and dotted with a few stray freckles, completely exposed except for the edge of a pink scoop neck shirt that swoops up and hides the other half of his clavicle. His skin looks soft and smooth, and Yu doesn’t even try to hide the sudden flush the heats up his neck and face. Behind the headphones he can see a few wisps of messy brown hair, poking out around the thick grey band. He can also see the bottom curve of Yosuke’s jaw, sharp and angled before it dips out of the frame. His thumb hovers over the picture, hand trembling as he fights the sudden urge to hold down the photo and save it to his contacts. Or his gallery. Or make it his wallpaper.

“Yu are you alright?” Rise’s sudden touch jerks him back into reality, looking down at the table in time to see her shiny pink nails pressing a wad of paper towels to his hand.  
The coffee cup has split into two pieces, it’s cardboard sleeve holding the cracked foam together as coffee drips onto the table. The lid was blown off in the explosion, thrown across the table where it now rests under Risette’s arm as she leans forward and wipes at his hand. He looks at his palm to asses the damage, skin a dark pink and tingling from the burn. It’s probably going to hurt later.

“What got into you? You looked at your phone and then you just-”  
Rise leans forward a little more, trying to peek at the screen in his unburnt hand before Yu swipes it with one finger and turns it off.

“It’s nothing! I just- just got called into work.” Yu works to even out his voice, mildly impressed that he manages to finish his sentence with almost none of his discomfort inflected.  
He takes the napkins from Rise, wiping off the rest of his palm and wrist neatly and pressing the remaining dry paper to the cool puddle of coffee that leaches it’s way to the end of the table.

His phone buzzes in his hands again, and Rise swivels her head to where his fingers are wrapped around it in a vice grip. Yu coughs loudly, earning her attention before he hastily shoves his phone in his pocket and excuses himself. Yu bows once, deeply, sliding the wet ball of napkins off the table and making a hasty retreat to the door, his thigh burning where his phone is pressed insistently against the fabric of his pants pocket.

Once he gets outside Yu retreats into the shadow of a nearby shop, leaning heavily against the cool brick wall as he wills his hands to stop shaking. He reminds himself to breathe, takes a few uneasy gulps of air that rasp out of his chest, and counts them in his head until they have receded from crisp shaky exhales to slow warm inhales.

 _Yosuke_  
_1:38pm_  
_U okay partner? Ur taking awhile to respond? Jiraya._

Yu growls at the phone, practically hearing Yosuke’s cool smirk intoned in the message. He pockets the device too roughly, trying to ignore the heat that prickles on his cheeks when his fingers stay tucked in his pocket as well, gingerly resting on his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys guess who just spent their entire day off updating this trash child instead of doing the things they planned on? (points both thumbs at self)
> 
> This one is a little shorter than usual, but I prefer it as a stand alone. Who's ready for a phone call? BECAUSE THAT IS A THING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SOON.
> 
> Thanks to everyone getting in touch with me and sticking around! Unfortunately this piece doesn't have a sound track (although I want to put one together maybe) but if you guys have any questions or commentary feel free to leave it below!


	8. Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to imagine that when these two gets texts from each other they sit there thinking about how calm and collected the other is when really they're just both a hot mess.
> 
>  
> 
> What a surprise, another day that I planned to do things and here I am updating. But you guys are just being so supportive and awesome and it makes me want to give you things so here! Angst!
> 
> A HUGEOHWOWGOSHTHANKYOU to everyone leaving feedback, I was super surprised and flattered when I woke up this morning and saw all these comments and gifts and just oh wow. I can't. Thank you.

“Yosuke what are you doing- _ohhh are you texting your girlfriend?_ ” Teddie is holding a pressed white shirt up to his thin frame, eyeing Yosuke with a skeptical glance.

 

Yosuke is standing towards the storefront with his front facing camera out, holding it away from his shoulders until he finds an angle that makes the orange of the headphones look the brightest. He mutters back a noncommittal, “I don’t have a girlfriend” as he snaps the picture on his phone, attaching it to a message and turning back to the blond.

 

“Why are we all still talking about this anyways-”

 

“Yeah, what Kanji said!”

 

“-I sure as hell don’t care about who Yosuke talks to.”

 

 _“Hey.”_ Yosuke snaps, giving Kanji an offended glare while he fishes his wallet out of his back pocket and begins counting yen.

 

“Chie said it’s dangerous to talk to strangers. Naoto thinks so too.” Teddie reprimands, putting the shirt back on a display and wandering over to the beauty department.

 

“It’s only dangerous if you give away personal information. Which I _haven’t._ ”

 

Yosuke knows that statement isn't entirely true. Even if he hasn’t _told_ Partner anything too personal, there were some things the boys just figured out on their own. Like their area codes being the same. Meaning that his Partner lives somewhere in the city. In the same city as Yosuke. Close enough to walk down the street and have lunch, probably. And not that the idea of meeting his Partner isn’t appealing to Yosuke. Hell, there have been more nights than he wants to admit, where he’s been working a closing shift, apron covered in coffee stains and dish water, and he’s let his mind wander into what the realm of what it would be like if his Partner happened to waltz into that coffee shop at that very moment and look him in the eye. Would they recognize each other? Would something foreign and unmentioned just click in his brain and tell him, “Hey this is the guy you’ve been talking to for the past two months”. But the thought is also scary. And he’s pretty sure Partner is scared too. It’s the only explanation as to why everytime one of them joke about meeting at Aiya’s during one of Yosuke’s breaks, the topic is always quick to switch to something else, leaving the idea as just that. A joke. An idea something Yosuke can entertain because if he doesn’t _see_ Parter, doesn’t hear him, there’s a part of him that doesn’t have to admit their whole relationship is real, a part that doesn’t have to admit to the way his hands were shaking when he tugged down the neck of his shirt just a _little further_ and sent the picture. But right now, there relationship is noncommittal. Yosuke could delete the number from his contacts right now. Erase Partner from his world and he would never have to ignore the fluttering of his stomach when Partner texts him goodnight, ever again. The thought makes Yosuke’s chest feel tight and uncomfortable. Something innately wrong about the idea of cutting Partner out of his life.

 

“Senpai are we still going to have coffee after you get your new headphones?” Teddie asks, a pout already tugging at his lips in case Yosuke tries to say no.

 

He sighs tiredly, glancing back at his phone while he waits for Partner’s reply, wondering if the photo had made uncomfortable. He sends one more text for good measure, tugging his new headphones off his neck and walking them to the front of the store.

 

“Yeah sure. But I’m not paying for you. You have a job, buy your own drink.”

 

“But _Yosukeeeee_ ,” Teddie’s pout intensifies, and he stumbles forward before dramatically grabbing onto Yosuke’s arm and sniffling. “Kanji got Teddie sick last week, and so he didn’t get to go to work.”

 

“Than have Kanji pay for you.”

 

“Hey! I called out. I didn’t get him sick. He probably just caught what was going around.” Kanji crosses his arms defensively, the scar on his forehead jerking down sharply with his frown.

 

“I think since Yosuke was the only one who didn’t get sick, he should pay.” Teddie perks back up.

 

“Why the hell does that mean _I_ have to pay?”

 

Yosuke passes the handful of yen to the cashier, stuffing the change into his pocket, and plugging his new headphones into his mp3 player before tugging them into position on his neck.

 

“Why do you have to be so _mean._ I bet you don’t talk to your girlfriend like this.”

 

“You’re right. I don’t. Because I do _not have a girlfriend._ ”

 

“Naoto says it could be a guy, does that mean you have _boyfriend?_ ”

 

Yosuke’s face flushes a deep crimson, and he’s stalking towards the bear muttering threats before Kanji manages to get his hand around Yosuke’s bicep and tug him backwards. Teddie, meanwhile, is prancing towards the door chanting in a sing-song voice, “Yosuke’s scoring with a hot _dude_ ”.

 

“He’s _definitely_ paying for his own drink now.” Yosuke growls, jerking his arm out of Kanji’s grip and shouldering open the door.

  
  


__________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:46pm_

_r u busy?Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:46pm_

_No. Why?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:47pm_ _  
_ _image.att._

_(A picture of a coffee placed on a wooden bar, a green apron can be seen peeking out of the corner of the lense.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:49pm_

_What’s that?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:49_

_esspresso machiato. My drink of choice. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:50pm_

_(A picture of a coffee in a foam to-go cup. The drink is tilted towards the camera, a cat swirled into the foam.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:50pm_

_Whats that??? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:51pm_

_I asked Aiya to make a cat?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:51pm_

_No! PArter is THat your HAND? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:53pm_

_Yes? You sent me that picture of your headphones?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:53pm_

_Yeah but u know wayYYy more about me. ThiS is BIG! Thats your hand! Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:54pm_

_Don’t get too excited. You might spill your coffee._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:54pm_

_they just. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:56pm_

_What?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:00pm_

_They look nice. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:02pm_

_My hands?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:02pm_

_yeah, i mean, you look like youd be good with them. Jiraya._

 

_6:07pm_

_Nevermind. Jiraya._

  


__________

 

It’s 11:05pm and Yosuke is standing at his kitchen counter, one hand resting on the blessedly cool bottle of water that sits on the tiled bar (his refrigerator was actually working today, even if his hot water wasn’t), the other holds his phone in a shakily strong grip, the dull screen the only light in the dark kitchen

 

“His hand. This is… _you’re hand.”_ Yosuke speaks into the empty air and gives the phone another nervous glance, addressing the one person who has zero chance of showing up at his door right now.

 

Yosuke has spent possibly too much of his day looking at this same photo. Neat, pale fingers, curled delicately around the foam coffee cup, nicely trimmed nails peeking around the sharp angle of the cardboard sleeve. He wasn’t lying, they _do_ look nice. And Yosuke flicks the screen back to the picture he had sent Partner, his narrow shoulders swallowing the screen in the dark. He tries to image those hands resting on the shoulders in his picture, a strong grip, warmed by the foam coffee cup. The idea makes his throat feel tight and dry, and Yosuke slaps the phone down with a smack that resounds through the empty room, snatching up the water and drinking half the bottle in one sip.

When his phone buzzes once on the counter, he assumes it’s another text. But then it buzzes again. And again. It’s a call. _It’s a phone call._

And the id reads _Partner_ in tight black text font.

 

Maybe it's the sudden feeling like he’s going to spin around on his socked heels and throw up all his dinner in the sink, or the thought that’s nagging in his mind telling him that somewhere not far away Partner is leaning against a counter in a kitchen he’s never seen and dialing _Yosuke’s_ phone number. Holding the phone with those same, long, pale fingers.

Partner has been abstract until now. Never real enough to make Yosuke feel like he has to think too hard about their conversations. But his phone is ringing. And if he picks it up then he will know two new things about Partner in one day. How his hands look, and his _voice._ (And a silly part of Yosuke is almost afraid that his voice might sound as nice as his hand looks, which is stupid and childish, and it makes his chest squeeze even tighter) But suddenly Yosuke is backing up from the counter, leaving the phone abandoned on the cracked grout of the kitchen island, and walking to his room on weak knees.

  
Yosuke doesn’t have a voicemail set up. No one ever really calls him. And when the sound of his phone vibrating, across the hall, finally stops, Yosuke feel his stomach tighten once, sharply, drawing a stifled gasp from his lungs before he rolls over and falls into a fitful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellllllll that wasn't supposed to happen! 
> 
> The end of this chapter was not in my plot notes AT ALL heh. But it happened anyways so excuse me while I go try to make this work in the story. I'll be uploading another chapter of just texts later today, just to lighten the angst a bit!
> 
> Big thanks to everyone following along! Feel free to leave feedback!


	9. Text Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, it's another text post!

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:31am_

_What if I drink cappuccino?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:33am_

_hmmm u probably studied abroad sumwhere. but didnt rlly learn anything. u seem too smart for that. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:35am_

_Are you suggesting I’m smart?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:35am_

_im not suggesting it. ur a freaking genius. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:37am_

_Nonfat eggnog latte?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:37am_

_u do realize thats liek ordering a supersize combo meal w/ a diet orange smash, rite? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_11:39am_

_But its nonfat._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:39am_

_Ok I take it back. Mybe u do drink cappuccinos. Jiraya._

  


____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:32pm_

_What do you drink?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:34pm_

_Triple grande half-caf two-pump vanilla two-pump hazelnut half-soy half-nonfat 1.5 splenda latte. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:36pm_

_Was that a joke?_

 

_10:38pm_

_I actually drink two shots of espresso. In ice._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:38pm_

_u think youre clever but youre not. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:39pm_

_You said I was smart._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:39pm_

_I take it back Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:40pm_

_No take-backsies_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:41pm_

_Ur such a kid. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_10:42pm_

_And you think too much into what people drink._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:42pm_

_Asshole. Jiraya._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this one! I pulled it out of my drafts to add some filler before the next story chapter. Leave feedback and thanks again for everyone supporting this story and following along!


	10. An Umbrella and a Scarf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me some trouble
> 
> A big thank you to everyone still following along! You're comments and feedback make me so happy!

_6:04am_

_Sorry, I must have pocket dialed you last night._

 

Yu sits up in his futon and rubs his eyes, his alarm ringing loudly in the muted space of his bedroom, curtains drawn tight to smother the dusty yellow rays of the sun that peak in from outside. He reads the text one more time before sending it, hoping that Yosuke believes him and doesn’t take the call as a breach of privacy. Yu lectured Yosuke for a whole day after he had admonished that he works at a coffee shop. It had seemed like an innocent admission, but they have matching area codes, which means that Yosuke lives somewhere in the city, and there are few enough coffee shops within close proximity to the University to make Yu feel like Yosuke was somehow exposing himself by mentioning where he works.

Yu feels his stomach twist at the thought. He’s not sure why he feels so protective about Yosuke’s privacy, but he knows that if he knew what Yosuke looked like, finding him would be as simple as checking the cafes down the street from his University, and the idea of that makes him a little more than uncomfortable. Honestly, he’s been avoiding any coffee shop but Aiya’s since Yosuke sent him that last picture message, afraid that he might walk into the wrong cafe and come face to face with Yosuke’s throat.

The text isn’t an entire lie, Yu really hadn’t meant to call him, but it doesn’t stop the silver haired boy from omitting the fact that once he realised his phone was dialing Yosuke he had made no effort to end the call until the mechanical voice on the other end told him that Yosuke’s inbox isn’t set up. Part of him was immediately grateful Yosuke hadn’t picked up. Yu isn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself from barging into every coffee shop within a ten mile radius if he ever heard Yosuke’s actual _voice,_ his desire to see the smile and eyes associated with that voice overriding any and all previous temporization. The thought makes him shiver, wondering if Yosuke’s freckles travel all the way up his pale throat to dot his face, or if his eyes are the same color as the chestnut hair that peeks out from the corner of the picture. He wonders what his face would look like, if the camera had traveled just a little farther up and captured the curl of his lips, the slope of his nose. Yu realises that at some point he has opened his messages and scrolled to the picture of Yosuke’s neck, slapping it, screen down, onto the futon as if his fingers have betrayed him.

His phone buzzes under his palm the same second it hits the blankets, and Yu scrunches up his nose in defeat before picking it back up.

 

_Yosuke_

_7:03am_

_hah yeah u had me kind of worried partner. Jiraya._

 

_7:03am_

_not that i dnt want to tlk to u. I just Jiraya._

 

_7:04am_

_nevermind. Jiraya._

 

He wonders why Yosuke is up so early, knowing that usually he sleeps in on the weekends. Glancing at the time above Yosuke’s name, Yu’s eyes widen and his cheeks burn when he realizes he’s been sitting in bed staring at the picture of Yosuke’s collar for almost an hour.

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_7:08am_

_You’re awake early._

 

Yu kicks off the covers and gets to his feet, sighing at the time on his phone, as he realises the extra time he spent admiring Yosuke means that he no longer has time to make breakfast before work. He walks down the hall and into the kitchen, pulling a tap from the fridge and drinking it all in one go. He throws the empty can in the trash and leaves his phone next to the sink as he pads into the bathroom to shower.

The shower helps clear his head, and even if his lost time this morning means that he only stands there long enough to wash his hair and scrub his face. He stands on the wet tile for an extra minute, rolling his shoulders and folding his hands before stretching them over his head.

Once he’s toweled himself off and brushed his teeth, Yu sets to work on his usual morning tasks, the familiar repetition settling with a dull hum in his head as he brushes out his hair and grabs the white dress shirt and black slacks, that he ironed last night and neatly hung up on his bedroom door for the morning. He pulls off his pajama pants and shirt and folds them neatly, leaving them on his dresser to be washed.  Yu buttons up his shirt as he heads for the door, sliding his tie flush against his throat with a hiss of fabric, and slipping his dress shoes over his feet. His fingers brush the door knob as he hears a buzz from his kitchen counter, his phone screen lighting up across the room as if reminding Yu not to forget it.

 

_Yosuke_

_7:10am_

_Yea i forgot to turn my phne down last nite so that txt kind of woke me up. Jiraya._

 

_7:10am_

_not that i mind. i was actlly just thinking about u anyways. Jiraya._

 

_7:11am_

_that came out wrong. Jiraya._

 

_7:12am_

_i had to get up early anyways. laundry day. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_7:34am_

_Bring an umbrella, it’s supposed to rain._

 

Yu smiles at his phone, slipping it into his pants pocket before grabbing his briefcase and slipping out the door, locking it with a click behind him.

Work passes by the same as usual, the steady repetition of mundane tasks lulling his brain into a quiet hum with every case he files away or document he copies into the computer, occasionally interrupted by a coworker or manager stopping to greet him or ask a question about a case. He wears his practiced smile with ease, answering each conversation or inquiry with a deft proficiency and considerate demeanor. At lunch he reaches into his bag and pulls out the bento he had made last night from leftovers in the fridge, too involved in his work to make the regular seven minute walk to Aiya’s and see if Yosuke is free to text. He spoons his chopsticks into his mouth with one hand while the other glides across the computer keyboard, taking mental notes of court cases and law codes while he updates them on the system’s computer. Twenty minutes before the end of his break his phone buzzes to the right of his bento.

 

_Yosuke_

_1:23pm_

_its raining. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:24pm_

_Is it? I’m inside. Working on some files._

 

____________

 

_Yosuke_

_1:24pm_

_oh sry partner, didnt mean 2 bug u at wrk. Jiraya._

 

_1:25pm_

_i forgot an umbrella. Jiraya._

 

Yu reads the message and smiles, glancing at the clock as idea hits him with enough force to jostle the chopsticks in his hand. It’s ridiculous, and possibly a major breach of the carefully constructed boundaries they’ve established of what’s okay and what’s not. But now that it’s in his head it refuses to release its grip, making his skin prickle with sweat even as his heart hammers in his chest. His fingers begin typing and then halt, thumb shaking. He tries again with the same result, watching as the letters on the screen disappear one by one. Yu sighs and turns back to the computer, managing to finish half of a file before he is sliding his chair back and grabbing his things, slipping his coat onto his shoulders and tugging his scarf around his neck as he reaches back for the phone on his desk.

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:28pm_

_Are you near Aiya’s?_

 

____________

 

_Yosuke_

_1:29pm_

_yeah. y? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:30pm_

_Head over there, but try to take more than ten minutes._

 

With Yosuke’s confirmation the plan becomes set in stone. Yu packs up his remaining bento and slips it back into his briefcase before exiting his office, wiping his sweaty palms on the fabric of his pants. He watches the dull numbers count down the floors with trepidation, and when the elevator reaches ground floor it is a mental battle to stop the movement of his hand, finger hovering over the button that will return him to the safety of his work floor. No, he’s already told Yosuke to go to Aiya’s so he needs to go through with this. Yu steps out of the elevator and walks across the Law Firm’s lobby, focusing on the sharp click of his dress shoes on the floor, trying to steady the pounding of his heart.

He knows that Yosuke is unlikely to show up before Yu commands, if he shows up at all, there’s still a large chance that Yu’s instructions will make his friend nervous, and he’ll avoid Aiya’s all together. Yu still walks faster than normal as he makes his way to the familiar cafe, icy rain beating an erratic rhythm on the fabric of his umbrella, that does nothing to ease the tempo of his pulse.

He arrives on the right street in five minutes instead of his usual seven. Yu checks the time nervously, tugging on his scarf.

He swings the door to Aiya’s open with shaking fingers, willing his nerves to calm as he gives the barista a friendly smile, that is impressively not laced with panic, and bypasses the counter straight to the table where he usually sits. He sets his umbrella between the window and his seat delicately, adjusting it to where it is leaning against the wall, tucked into the corner so it’s not visible from outside. The door swings open at the same moment that Yu decides the umbrella is safe enough, and he a man at the counter is complaining about how winter has set in early this year. The wind is fairly crisp today, Yu thinks, and knowing Yosuke he probably didn’t prepare for that either. He gives the umbrella a final glance as he begins unwinding the grey scarf from his neck for good measure, rolling it up and setting it on the windowsill next to his umbrella. Then he grabs a napkin from the tray deposit next to the door and pulls a pen from his pocket, spreading his fingers across the tissue so that the paper doesn’t tear when he writes on it. Yu takes a moment to admire his handy work before turning on his heel and exiting Aiya’s, jacket pulled over his head to protect his work clothes from the rain.

 

_xxx-xxx-4421_

_1:37pm_

_When you get to Aiya’s go to the table on the far left side, in the corner next to the window._

 

His jacket does a significantly less good of a job protecting him from the rain as his umbrella, and when he jogs back into the Law Firm four minutes after the end of his break, his hair is sheeted to his head with water, his white shirt clinging to his icy skin. His lips are pink and chapped from the cold, and the secretary at the front desk asks if he’s alright. It doesn’t loosen the grin on his face.

 

“Did you forget your umbrella?” She asks.

 

“Something like that.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This needed fluff. So much fluff. I am a sappy piece of shit. I am so excited for the next chapter guys. Go leave feedback and stuff.


	11. An Umbrella and a Scarf pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first of all, Ohgosh a HUGE shout out to @preservedcucumbers for doing this absolutely ADORABLE picture from chapter 7!  
> You can check that out right <http://preservedcucumbers.tumblr.com/post/150102259656> ” > here! 
> 
> (So go do that right now because it is probably definitely the best thing you will see all day.

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:45pm_

_whats this? Jiraya._

 

_1:45pm_

_image.att._

_(a picture of a grey scarf and umbrella propped into a corner at Aiya’s, on the seat, next to the windowsill, is a napkin with, “I hope this helps with the rain.” written in neat slanting script.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:46pm_

_You said you forgot your umbrella._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:46pm_

_Yeah but what about u? dnt u need this? Jiraya._

 

_____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:47pm_

_Don’t worry about it, Yosuke. I don’t live far from where I work. And if it’s still raining I can take the subway._

 

_1:47pm_

_I have another umbrella at home anyways. You need it more than me._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:48pm_

_Thanks partner. Jiraya._

 

Yosuke wraps the grey scarf around his neck, trying not to breathe too deeply and tumble into the sphere of oh-holy-shit-this-is-what-he-smells-like. He spent the first several seconds upon arriving at the table in the back of Aiya’s just staring with slack jaw understanding at the black umbrella and neatly bundled scarf that Partner had tucked discreetly into the corner. Half of him counting his blessings that it hadn’t been Partner himself sitting at the table, the other half terrified to pick up the scarf and find that it’s still warmed from Partner’s skin. It is.

He inhales slowly now, a controlled breath that he takes in through his mouth, and he can taste warmth and softness and clean linen mixed with the faint scent of some fruity shampoo. His first instinct is to press the soft fabric to his nose, but somewhere in between the action of his fingers toying with the end of the scarf, and actually bringing it up to his mouth, Yosuke’s hand jerks back in panic. It falls back to rest on his shoulders, and he snatches up the umbrella before racing out of the coffee shop and back onto the street, letting the cool air slice through the fog in his mind until he can will his hands to stop shaking.

Once he makes it to the laundromat Yosuke sets to shoveling his dirty clothes from his back to the wash machine. He makes it halfway through the cycle before he realises he forgot to sort the colors, yanking on the handle of the washer machine as a red banner scrolls across the screen above the coin slot reading “do not open wash machine until end of cycle”.

Twenty two minutes later he swings open the machine and begins sorting through his clothes with a grimace, holding up a pair of dyed pink underthings before tossing them into the dryer.

Yosuke manages to get back to the apartment and unlock his door without falling up the stairs or walking into traffic, which he supposes, is a small blessing considering the state his mind is in. He throws the bag of clean laundry next to his couch, having barely managed to make it out of the laundromat and shove his personals messily back into a backpack without his hands refusing to grab any of the shirts or boxers that were tumbling out of the dryer, let alone fold them.

He sets the umbrella carefully next to his shoes, water running in black rivulets down the canvas and then gathering in a puddle on the floor. He busies his hands with unwrapping the scarf and tossing it onto the couch before he begins work on peeling off his shirt and pants, muddy as they are from his shoes kicking up rain water and slush. His pants gather in a heap on the floor, and Yosuke is about to turn towards the couch when the napkin hanging halfway out of his back pocket catches his eye. He picks up the jeans and gently pries out the paper, spreading it in his hands until the wrinkles are pulled out and he can read the bleeding black ink.

He pads to the bedroom in nothing but his socks and boxers, setting the note on his dresser and rummaging through the pile of clothes next to his drawer until he finds a baggy pastel shirt and pulls it over his head.

Back in the living room he finds himself sitting across from the scarf on the couch, his mind still muddled with half formed thoughts, and stating obvious things like the fact that Partner actually _wore_ it. For some reason it makes him seem even more real than the photo did, and Yosuke spends at least another thirty minutes imagining him walking into Aiya’s and leaving his things for Yosuke before slipping out the door. He leans across the couch and bunches the scarf up in his hands, fingers tangled in the soft cotton that rests in a bundle in his lap. He thinks about texting Partner but ends up discarding the thought, he doesn’t usually get home on weekdays until around eight, and Yosuke doesn’t want to distract him with texts when he can’t even manage to form a coherent thought, himself.

Instead, he ends up curled up on his sofa picking at his guitar, a notebook pressed to his thigh that he occasionally shifts into his hand to jot down a stray thought or jumbled string of words. Partner’s scarf sits wrapped around his neck, filling his lungs with the scent of cotton and fruity shampoo on each inhale, that he releases in a soft breath each time he hums along to his music.

 

At 11:02 his phone buzzes in his lap, jerking Yosuke out of his music induced haze with wide eyes as he realizes he’s been playing for almost seven hours. His stomach growls in protest.

 

_Partner_

_11:02pm_

_Work kept me late tonight. I’m going to sleep, gotta get up early in the morning again._

 

_11:03pm_

_Goodnight, Yosuke. Sweet dreams._

  
Yosuke swipes his thumb across the screen and closes the text, setting his guitar against the arm of the couch and going to get some leftovers from the fridge. He eats dinner standing at the kitchen counter, uncaring that he didn’t reheat the noodles before dishing them into a bowl. When he finishes dinner he leaves the dishes in the sink, curling up on his futon with his Partner’s scarf still tucked under his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this being such a short chapter, some things were supposed to happen at the end that I decided would work better in a separate chapter, so I had to cut this one in half.
> 
> Another super big thank you to everyone following along and leaving comments and feedback! You guys are seriously the best. If you didn't check out that beautiful art from Chapter 7 make sure you go check out Preservedcucumbers Tumblr page like right now (the link is in the beginning chapter notes for Chapter 11) because it is literally the most hilarious and perfect thing I have seen ever. 
> 
> More to come! I'm thinking (this is a rough estimate) that if my plot notes all go smoothly these two nerds will be meeting in person in about 5 chapters! *hand clapping*
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for all the support, I can't put into words how flattering it is, and I am so glad I can write this story for all of you!


	12. Insecurities and Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have divided this update into two parts, but that would have been sooooo much less fun.
> 
> I have been looking forward to writing this since I started this story, and holy shit I'm excited.

The morning greets Yosuke forty three minutes late, his alarm having been muffled by the cushions of his couch where he left it last night. He stretches his arms over his head and yawns, feeling the air leave his lungs in a long drawn out pull, before he blinks lazily at the window and smacks his lips. The sun has already halfway risen, and it doesn’t click with Yosuke that he missed his alarm until he glances sleepily at the clock and realizes it’s a quarter till nine. Twenty five minutes until his shift at the coffee shop begins.

Yosuke yelps out a curse as he tumbles out of his futon and onto the floor, stumbling out of the heap of twisted sheets and pillows around his legs, and kicking at the covers as he blunders down the hall.

A quick shower leaves Yosuke with ten minutes before his shift, and he over aggressively brushes his teeth while rummaging through the backpack of clean laundry by the door. A stained pink v-neck and pair of boxers later, Yosuke is stuffing his only clean apron into his messenger bag and fumbling out the door, grateful that his apron was a dark enough green to be spared from yesterday’s scarf induced laundry fiasco. He arrives at work ten minutes late, earning a kick to the gut from Chie that sends him sprawling onto the counter as he clutches at his stomach. After it’s been established that Yosuke is an idiot and that he’s oh so very lucky Chie has blessed him with a job, he’s banished to the back of the store, a sullen look of dejection twisting his lips when he arrives at the dishwashing station and realizes he has forgot his headphones in his rush.

He pulls the familiar rubber gloves up to his elbows, scowling as he knots the water stained apron around his narrow waist and plunges his hands into the steamy soap water. His day doesn’t get any better when Teddie dumps a handful of cutlery into the murky water while Yosuke is turned around, or when he reaches into the bottom of the sink and cuts the rubber gloves _and_ his hand on a knife, and especially not when Chie calls him a baby for complaining and hands him a packet of band aids with tiny cats printed all over them. They make him think of Partner, and the added distraction is just enough to cause him to slip on the soap slicked floor and land in a pile of cardboard boxes.

After a majority of Yosuke’s morning is spent royally fucking things up in the back of the coffee shop, Chie eventually assigns him to the front counter, just in time for the lunch rush to hit and for Yosuke to get his ass handed to him by the rush of customers wanting to order pumpkin spice lattes now that it’s cold out.

When his break finally rolls around Yosuke can do little more than collapse at the nearest table with his head in his arms, cat bandaid rubbing against his cheek irritatingly. He wants to go home. He wants to crawl back into bed and pull a pillow up to his chest and wrap Partner’s scarf around his face until all he can smell is the soft warmth of washed linen and fruit scented shampoo. And if that isn’t a disturbingly weird thought, he doesn’t know what is.

 

“Hey Yosuke, you still on for hanging out at Kanji’s tonight? I rented Dumminator 3.” Chie pokes him in the head, hard enough to help Yosuke realise that on top of everything else, he has a headache too.

 

“I dunno.” He mumbles into his elbow, or at least tries to, but all that really comes out is a squeaky sort of moan.

 

“C’mon Yosuke, everyone else is going to be there, and you haven’t hung out with us since Rise’s party last month.”

 

“Fnnn.” He growls, and he peeks up at Chie to see her grin triumphantly and flash a thumbs up at Teddie and Kanji as she walks back to the counter.

 

Yosuke reaches his hand into his pocket, wincing as the cut on his palm scrapes against his jeans. He pulls out his phone and stretches out his arm until it is lying parallel across the table, his brown eyes peeking out from under his bangs and glancing at the screen of his phone.

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:46pm_

_kill me. Jiraya._

 

__________

 

_Partner_

_12:48pm_

_Hmmm. No can do. I could punch you though?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:48pm_

_only if ur swing is good enuf to knock me out. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_12:48pm_

_No promises. But if you don’t fall unconscious I’ll let you punch me back._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:49pm_

_wat is that suppsed to make us equal? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_12:50pm_

_It’s more likely to make us idiots…. And bleed._

 

Yosuke grins at the screen, his mood feeling marginally lighter, even if it’s not by much. Chie walks over long enough to leave a cup of hot tea next to his elbow, demanding that he drink it before his break ends. He takes a small sip and winces, sighing afterwards as the warmth seeps into his head and eases the throbbing that has settled beneath his right eye.

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:52pm_

_too late 4 that partner. but hey i got a bandaid that reminds me of u. Jiraya._

 

Yosuke switches his phone to his other hand and spreads out his fingers, palm facing the camera as he tilts his wrist until a black and white speckled cat is staring from the bandage, at the camera. He holds down the shutter and watches the picture send, staring at the small green bar that inches across the screen.

 

_Partner_

_12:55pm_

_Yosuke what happened?_

 

_____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:56pm_

_A guy I work with dumped a bunch of knives into the sink while I was washing dishes. It’s not big deal. Jiraya._

 

______________

 

_Partner_

_12:56pm_

_Are you okay?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:57pm_

_Uh.. yeah? Rlly it’s no biggie. Just a little cut. Jiraya_

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_12:58pm_

_You should run it under water and put some hydrogen peroxide on that to make sure the cut stays clean. And some topical ointment for the pain._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:00pm_

_Geez partner its rlly not a big deal. U seem 2 kno a lot about this stuf though. Speaking from experience? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_1:01pm_

_My parents moved around a lot when I was a kid, they usually sent me to stay with relatives. I stayed with my Uncle and little cousin during my second year of high school._

 

_1:01pm_

_My Uncle wasn’t home often and Nanako is still just a kid, I guess I was kind of her big brother/ friend/ nurse for the summer. She likes to get into trouble._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:02pm_

_She sounds lucky to have had u. Evn if it was only for a yr. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_1:02pm_

_I can be your nurse too? Although I’d rather not take up the position of big brother. That might get kind of weird._

 

Yosuke feels a blush creep onto his cheeks, although it doesn’t “creep” so much as it consumes his neck and ears, until his whole face feels like it’s on fire and he has to take another drink of his tea, long and deep until the liquid burns his tongue and gives him a different heat to think about. He needs to change topics, because he doesn’t want to explore this particular conversation path while he is sitting at a table at _work._

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:03pm_

_What about friends? We’re friends rite? Jiraya_

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_1:03pm_

_Friends, huh? I was getting a different impression._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:04pm_

_well we talk about friend stuff rite? And I think about u as a friend a lot. Things like what we would do if we hung out in real life. where I would take u. Jiraya._

 

___________

 

_Partner_

_1:06pm_

_Don’t get me wrong, I think about those things. Just… other things too._

 

Yosuke swallows audibly, halfway pocketing his phone before his curiousity overrides his reason and he swipes open his keyboard.

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:06pm_

_Other things like what? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Partner_

_1:07pm_

_What you look like. Aside from what I already know. Things like if your freckles go all the way up to your nose. What color your eyes are. The sound of your laugh._

 

_1:07pm_

_How tall you are. If you your lips can touch mine, or if you’d have to stand on the tip of your feet._

 

“Fuck, Partner.” Yosuke mumbles, tongue thick and dry in his mouth, he takes another sip of tea, thinking of how to word his response as he hears his name and his head snaps up from the table.

 

“Yosuke, breaks over. Grab your apron and get me two “skinny” lattes and a shot of espresso.”

 

Yosuke slides his seat back suddenly, legs squealing against the floor and earning looks from several of the customers in line before he stammers out a response and stumbles behind the counter, his feet working just as well as his voice, apparently.

The rest of his shift is a hellish sort of fog, his hands groping for the various levers and buttons he uses to make beverages, his fingers shaking too badly to finish the music note he tries to swirl into someone's drink, without Kanji’s help. By the time his shift is over Chie has had to steer him out of the baristas way at least twelve times, eventually just telling him to stand at the counter and try to punch in orders without screwing up. Yosuke unties his apron and stuffs it into his bag, pausing at the door to wait for Kanji, Teddie, and Chie to finish wiping the counters and counting the register. Chie makes them all sit around in the lobby for an additional ten minutes, making small talk about the movie with the others until Yukiko makes it across the street from the hotel where she works and knocks on the window raptly. The four gather their things and head down the block to Kanji and Teddie’s apartment, picking up Naoto on the way and finding out that Rise has a photo shoot and will be about half an hour late.

Once everyone has piled into the apartment Teddie sets to work on popping popcorn, insisting that they pour an ungodly amount of whatever chocolate and candy he can find in his “stash” (which is really just the single cabinet on the left side of the fridge that everyone pretends isn’t there) into the bowl. Eventually the popcorn and candy congeals into a gooey chocolatey mess, Teddie declaring, “it’s perfect” as he grabs a handful of sodas from the fridge and parades into the living room. By the time everybody settles in, Rise is knocking on the door, Kanji responding with a gruff, “come in” as the door swings inward and the model/pop star slips her heels off next to the door. The seating arrangement works like this, Kanji all too reluctantly sitting on the couch next to Naoto, who is blessedly pretending she doesn’t know how nervous he is, because movie night is about having fun, not making things awkward. Yosuke is sitting cross legged on the floor, Teddie’s stomach sprawled over his lap with his face stuffed into the popcorn bowl in his arms. Yukiko and Chie are squished onto the other side of Kanji and Naoto’s couch, Chie’s arm wrapped snugly around Yukiko’s shoulders because, “there’s not enough room on the sofa for her to put it at her side”. And Risette sitting on the only other chair, a plush green armchair that sits adjacent from the sofa, and complaining loudly about how everyone promised they could watch a romance movie tonight, before Yosuke tells her to shut up.

Halfway through the movie Yosuke’s legs fall asleep, and he pries Teddie out of his lap while trying to cause the minimal scene required for inconveniencing Teddie, earning only a sharp wail of, “Why don’t you want to cuddle with me?” Before Yosuke knocks him in the head with the palm of his hand and scoots back against the arm of the couch, knees tucked into his chest as Teddie sprawls out and starts making snow angels in the carpet. The movie is loud and the usual chatter of the group dies down within the first few moments, Yosuke watching with only half of his usual enthusiasm towards the Dumminator series, as he puts his chin on his knees and brushes a hand against the phone in his pocket. He wonders what Partner is doing right now. If he’s working late again or maybe out drinking with some friends. The thought makes his stomach twist in a way he doesn’t understand, as if it’s somehow fair for Yosuke to be here with his friends but not Partner. Although from what he understands Partner doesn’t seem to have that many friends in the city, besides Yosuke. He tries to imagine what it would be like if Partner were really there, if his hands would brush Yosuke’s while they sit next to each other on the floor. If the seating would leave enough space between them or if they’d have to press close together until their sides brush. If Partner would lean in every so often and whisper something as weird or thoughtful as the things he says over text. He lets his mind run like this for awhile, explosions and effects flashing across the screen and reflecting off of his far off stare.

It’s at the one quiet part of the move that his phone chimes, jarringly loud over the white noise of the speakers. Kanji jumps in his seat, face going red as he pointedly avoids Naoto’s curious glance, Teddie shushing him loudly as if Yosuke had opened his mouth and emitted the ringing himself.

 

“Hey no phones during the movie.” Rise pouts, crossing her legs indignantly and folding her arms.

 

“Is that your girlfriend again?” Chie asks, shifting around Yukiko as she looks down to the floor where Yosuke sits. “You’ve been texting her all the time lately. Can’t you two give it a rest?”

 

“Ooooh, Yosuke, so it’s true you’ve been texting a stranger? What’s she like? Tell me all about it!”

 

Rise has sprung forward on her seat, elbows propped on her knees as she gives Yosuke a predatory stare.

 

“Come on, do we always have to make this about me? Can’t we just shut up and watch the movie?”

 

“You’re the one who interrupted the good part with a text.” Chie snaps, reaching across Naoto and Kanji to paw at the remote on the armrest until the movies flickers and pauses.

 

“If you really want to see it that bad than shut the hell up and turn it back on.”

 

“Nuh uh, Yosuke. I don’t want to watch it anymore.I want to see who your texting.”

 

“We already know who it is, Chie. It’s not like he talks to anyone else outside of us and that chick.” Kanji drones, glaring at the tv as if he hopes he can restart the movie with his stare, and then abandoning all efforts, getting up from his seat and walking to the kitchen for another drink.

 

“Yosuke, I thought we told you that you should stop talking to that stranger. They could be anyone.”

 

“Who the hell are you? My mom?” Yosuke snaps at Naoto, who look completely unfazed by the outburst.  

 

“That’s not a very nice way to talk to Nao-chan.”

 

“Teddie, please don’t call me that.”

 

“C’mon Yosuke, you don’t have to be so sensitive, if anyone’s being weird it’s you.” Rise scolds, flicking a piece of hair off her shoulder with a frown.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Yosuke, it means that we’re all trying to look out for you. You have to admit it’s kind of weird to _still_ be talking to that stranger. I mean, you sent that first text over three months ago, and you’ve been texting them almost every day since. I mean, do you even know their name?”

 

Yukiko’s voice is soft and concerned, and Chie nods along with a “told you so” look.

Yosuke feels his stomach drop uncomfortably, and he’s not sure if it’s from having so many sets of eyes on him, or if he’s actually gleaning some truth from Yukiko’s words. He hadn’t really thought of his and Partner’s interactions as weird until now, but the more he thinks about it the more he can feel the concerned glances of his friends, and it makes his skin itch and feel stretched too tight over his body. He makes a point of focusing his attention on the floor, staring at one singular spot in the carpet until someone says something about the movie only having twenty minutes left, and conversation slowly stutters back to normal.

Kanji comes back in from the kitchen with a bottled water in hand, hitting the play button on the dvd player and squeezing back into his seat. Yosuke spends the rest of the movie in silence, his head and chest and every part of him aching as he grasps his phone with white knuckles, surprised it doesn't break in his grip.

“Hey Yosuke, Teddie wants to pick up some extra hours from being sick, so if you want off tomorrow it’s all yours.” Chie mentions casually, one hand on the door and the other slipped snuggly into Yukiko’s fingers.

 

Yosuke nods mutely and mutters a thanks, slipping through the door to the apartment and onto the sidewalk outside before anyone can offer to walk home with him. He’s managed to keep himself surprisingly calm throughout the rest of the night, revealing no outward signs of his discomfort aside from the lack of his usual spirit. It’s not until the door to his own apartment clicks shut behind him, submerging him the darkness with his own thoughts, that the panic begins to set in.

He paces from the couch back to the front door before walking over to the kitchen and gripping the counter to steady his hands, his chest aching enough to convince him that he might be dying, before he lifts his palms to his face and presses it against his eyes. They come back wet and Yosuke glares at them in betrayal.

He opens Partner's last text, now two hours old from when he received it during the movie.

 

_Partner_

_11:52pm_

_Hey, are you busy?_

 

He’s not sure what he’s looking for, maybe some kind of reassurance. Someone to tell him that he’s not crazy and desperate for the first signs of attention or affection he can cling on to. Maybe that’s why his hands begin fumbling jerkily at the phone, or the reason his fingers instinctively open Partner’s messages and scroll all the way up to their first few texts as fast they can, his eyes pausing and racing over all of their history over and over again as if hoping for some sign that what they have is completely real and normal.

Maybe it’s why, when he can find nothing but the same conversations he has reread so many times over the past few months, his thumb is tapping the call button with no hesitation whatsoever. Or the reason that after the first ring, and even the second, and third, he makes no move to hang up. Maybe it’s the reason that when the line clicks and he hears static and the muffled rustling of fabric over the speaker, he feels a sudden calm wash over his body, bursting through his arms and legs like lightening and leaving his fingers numb and tingling where they hold the phone.

And then he hears a voice, _his_ voice, rich and crackling and rough with sleep, whispering in a tone that conveys every bit of apprehension and confusion Yosuke is feeling.

 

_“Yosuke?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke "were friends" Hanamura.
> 
>  
> 
> AHhhhhhhh okay. First of all a BIG HUGE OH GOSH WOW THANK YOU to the awesome responses from ALL of you! The comments, fan art everything has just been so completely overwhelming and flattering and I cannot express how thankful I am for all of the responses.
> 
>  
> 
> On a sidenote I've had a few people asking if I have a tumblr, i do, the username is BiBoMo and it has the same pic as my profile for Ao3, be warned that I will love and cherish the opportunity to talk to all of you even MORE, but I am also new to tumblr and still learning how to navigate it. So if I fumble through conversation, excuse me.
> 
> Another update will be up soon, thanks again!


	13. Late Night Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I was expecting this chapter to give me some trouble, but I was wrestling with it alllll day. Sorry about the delay guys!
> 
> On a side note, @sunflwrtea did this AMAZINGLY CUTE picture of Yosuke wearing Yu's scarf, and it is absolutely adorable and perfect and so you should all go check that out right here! [](<div%20class=)<http://sunflwrtea.tumblr.com/post/150155636587/some-sketchy-palette-practices-with-souyo-first> ">HERE
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Sorry about the delay!

“Yosuke?” He repeats the name, and his voice is less muffled by sleep, accentuated by the shuffle of clothes and two long steady breaths hissing through the speaker.

 

Talk. Right, he’s the one that called, so he should probably talk. There are several responses running through Yosuke’s head, all completely respectable and appropriate.

 

When he opens his mouth all that comes out is a squeaky breath, followed by a weak laugh as he mumbles out in a broken voice, “Heh… hey, Partner.”

 

The line goes quiet for a moment, little noise other than the rise and fall of Yosuke’s own breathing mixed with Partner’s, steadier breaths, through the phone speaker. The calm he initially felt has been smothered out by a wave of returning panic, filling his chest and rumbling in his head like a pressure on his ears. Yosuke take a long unsteady breath, trying to fill all of lungs with air and stifle the increasing feeling of drowning. They sit in silence for another moment, Yosuke leaning into the phone receiver trying to catch any and all noise that might get lost in the interference between them.

 

Partner clears his throat, the noise rough and causing the hairs on Yosuke’s neck to prickle on end.

 

“Can you give me just a second, Yosuke? I- uh… was asleep when you called. It’s two in the morning…”

 

Yosuke’s face flushes with heat, and he grips the counter for balance and stuters out, “Oh- shit. No, I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t realise how late it is. I’ll uh.. Just go-”

 

 _“No.”_ Partner breathes back, his voice a sudden sharp rasp that makes Yosuke’s phone jerk against his ear. “No. Don’t go. It’s alright. I just, need to sit up is all. One second.”

 

Yosuke nods along with Partner’s voice, shifting the phone in his hands and biting his lips nervously.

He turns against the counter and slides onto the floor until his shoulder is digging uncomfortably against a cabinet knob. He slides his socked feet across the wood floor, tucking them against his chest until his chin is cradled in his knees and his arm is tucked into his side, phone balanced between his knee and hand. On the other end he can hear the rustle of blankets and a soft sigh, a yawn, and then the speaker is slid across fabric and, Yosuke assumes, pressed against Partner’s cheek, his breath coming out in long steady exhales that almost mute the sound of feet padding across a floor. Yosuke lets the background noise calm his nerves, Partner’s simple and mechanical movements easing some of the tension from his shoulders. After another second he hears wheels slide across the floor and a the light squeak of his chair. Yet another and he’s back, voice soft and gentle as if Yosuke is some frightened animal Partner is trying to coax into his arms.

 

“Okay, I’m back. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to call. Is everything okay?”

 

Yosuke squeezes his eyes shut until all he can see is inky blackness tinted dingy yellow from the nightlight plugged into his kitchen counter. He tries to focus on Partner’s voice, which isn’t hard, the soft passive sound making his toes curl in his socks. Now that Partner has actually picked up Yosuke can’t seem to find the words he needs, to articulate why he called. All the frightening thoughts and doubts that had been making his lungs burn and chest ache now just far enough out of his reach to be able to press them into the space between him and the voice on the other end of the phone. Instead he remains seated on the floor, silently begging the other to keep talking without Yosuke having to prompt him.

 

“Yosuke? Are you okay?”

 

“Not really, Partner.” Yosuke crackles out, his voice broken and weak as the admission spills from his lips before he can pull it back into his mouth.

 

“Okay… Do you want to talk about it?” He replies cautiously, his voice thick with a softness that makes Yosuke feel frail and breakable.

 

_We’ve been talking for like three months and I hardly know that much about you and I like you a lot, more than I should, probably, but I keep thinking that this isn’t normal and maybe I like you more than you like me and one day you’ll just stop sending me those shitty cat pictures. Or reminding me to bring an umbrella on days it’s supposed to rain. And I’ll never know what happened to you or why you disappeared and honestly it’s fucking terrifying that that rattles me the way it does. I shouldn’t care as much as I do but I can’t stop thinking that feeling this strongly about you is fucking weird._

 

Any of that would have probably been an adequate summary of the tempest of confusion and fear that makes his mouth feel like he’s stuffed it full of cotton, and makes his eyes sting and blur.

 

Instead all he manages is a single half choked breath, sharp enough to make his head spin as he sputters out the first coherent thought he can grasp onto.

 

“What’s your favorite color?” _What the actual fuck, Yosuke?_

 

“Uh… what?” Partner asks quietly, obviously having fully been ready to give Yosuke some kind of reasonable and perfectly reassuring pep talk, knowing already exactly what he needs to hear, like he always does. And now he’s just at a loss for words.

 

Yosuke takes a deep breath, holding it in until his chest puffs up against his legs and his lungs start to ache dully. When he releases the breath the questions come with it, all of them.

 

 _“ What’s your favorite color?_ Or, _fuck_ I don’t know Partner. Where are you from? What’s your family like? Why’d you move out here? It can’t be just to study law, you’re amazing, you could go to school anywhere you want. And you could do anything. Why are you settling for law school? Do you even like it? I think you’re just doing it because it’s what makes sense, and fuck man, I’m one to talk. I’m only taking these shitty business classes because my dad’s the fucking manager at some big retail store in a hick town and I hate everything about what I’m doing but it’s what I’m supposed to do right? It’s what makes sense. But you could do anything and it doesn’t make sense why you’d settle for anything.” _It doesn't make sense why you would settle for me._ The thought hangs unspoken between them, implied by Yosuke's panicked tone but not articulated into existence.

 

Yosuke takes a shaky breath, the line has gone quiet on the other end, either he has startled Partner into silence, or he’s waiting for Yosuke to continue. He decides on the latter and keeps going.

 

“I heard a song the other day that made me think of you. I was going to text you it but then I started wondering if you’d even like it because, like, I don’t know _what_ you like. And like, I have all these places I always think about taking you if we met in person, but I don’t know what kind of food you like, or if you dance, or what kind of movies you watch. I just- I…”

His shoulders are shaking, rattling the cabinets behind him, making his shoulder blade press into the cabinet until it stings. The line stays silent for several seconds. Yosuke counts each one in his head.

 

“Yosuke, I.. what’s gotten into you?”

 

“I don’t know anything about you. I just.. Want to know more.”  _I need to know more._

 

Partner laughs then, it’s no more than a tiny huff that crackles in Yosuke’s ear, but it’s also the nicest thing he’s heard all day, and soon he chuckles back, feeling small and silly for having called someone at two in the morning to ask about their hobbies and complain about his choice of career.

 

“Grey.”

 

Partner’s laughing subsides just long enough for his voice to steady and the word to spill humorously into Yosuke’s ear, whispered as if it’s some secret that only he can know.

 

“What?”

 

“My favorite color… It’s grey. Yosuke, if you want to know those things about me all you have to do is ask.”

 

Yosuke lets the admission settle on his chest, feeling as if a small feather worth of the weight that has been crushing him all night has been ever so delicately lifted. He smiles, and if the thought didn’t make him feel stupid and senseless, he’d say he can feel Partner smiling back.

 

“Okay. What about law school? I mean, isn’t there something you’d rather do.”

 

“Hmm. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. Honestly when I moved here I was just grateful to be away from my parents. I guess law school was just the most logical choice. I don’t hate it. Can I ask you a question though?”

 

“Yeah, partner, of course.” Yosuke hums, sighing into the speaker as he hears partner shift slightly in the background.

 

“Why are you studying business? I mean, I know I’ve asked before, but why are you really doing it?”

 

Yosuke scrunches his nose. It’s something Chie, and Rise, and even Kanji have all asked him before, but he’s always managed to shirk off his response with little more than a well rehearsed “it makes sense”. No other answer seems necessary, but now partner is asking. Partner who has never been anything but supportive and understanding, and it makes Yosuke pause and run a hand through his messy hair, searching his mind for the right words to answer his question.

 

“My parents are paying for my tuition right now. I mean, it’s not like I can’t afford college without them, but when I first moved here I couldn’t really afford anything. They offered to set me up with a place, but they were already paying for my business classes, and I guess part of me felt like if I let them do that too, than I wouldn’t have anything that felt like my own. It sounds stupid when I say it out loud. Most people would be grateful for parents that want to see them succeed, but business was _definitely_ not my first choice, hell, I hate it, if I’m being honest. It’s like when I’m at school, I’m “Junes boy”, only there because his dad is paying his grants, but at least here, I can be Yosuke. I can work on my music and do the things I want because this place is my own. Even if it _is_ shitty as hell.”

 

“You should do what makes you happy.”

 

“Ha. You make it sound simple, partner.”  Yosuke snorts, his hand trailing through his hair until it scratches at his neck. He wonders if Partner tackles every problem in the same, easy way that he navigates their conversations, wincing when his thoughts wander to his friends reactions to them still talking to each other. He wonders what partner would say about it, if confronted with the same criticism.

 

“Uhh.. hey, do you think it’s weird that we’re still talking?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Y’know… that we text and stuff. I mean, that we kept texting, even after we found out it was the wrong number.”

 

“It probably is a little weird, yeah. But I don’t regret it. I really like you, Yosuke.”

 

His mind pulls him back into the same nervousness he had felt upon arriving back at his apartment, the fears and insecurities he has so firmly held back, pouring forth with enough force to leave his hand trembling on the back of his neck.

 

“Sometimes I’m afraid that I’m going to text you, and just never hear back from you again. I don’t know. It sounds lame, right? But, I like you too, and it’s kind of hard to imagine going through my day without talking to you.”

 

“That won’t happen.” He says it with no inflection whatsoever, as if the answer is glaringly obvious and Yosuke is an idiot for not realising it sooner. Yosuke tries to keep the tremor from his voice and fails.

 

“You promise?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’m sorry I called so late.”

 

“Don’t be. I’m glad it happened.”

 

“Yeah… me too.”

 

They talk like this until Yosuke’s eyelids start to droop, and his back begins locking up from where it is pressed against the counter. Eventually Yosuke moves to the couch, laying on his back with his arm slouched across his stomach while he listens to Partner talk about the mega beef bowl served in a restaurant downtown, or the cat cafe in a city over that he’s always wanted to visit but hasn’t yet, or whatever other little mundane things Yosuke can pick his brain about. Inevitably, Yosuke is the first to yawn, partially because of the strain that such a stressful day has put on him, and also because partner had gotten at least _some_ sleep before Yosuke had called. He tries to muffle the sound with his hand, but the phone is too close to his chin to mute it completely, and partner is the first to respond.

 

“You sound tired.”

 

“Nngm.” Yosuke grunts in response, curling onto his side and burying the phone between the couch cushion and his cheek.

 

“You know, I spent a lot of time wondering what it would be like if we ever talked like this.”

 

“M’too.”

 

“What do you think?”

 

“S’nice. You’ve a nsss voice.”

 

Partner laughs on the other line, another short shuddery sound that make Yosuke smile sleepily into the couch.

 

“Can I ask you another question?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

“Why haven’t you asked for my name?”

 

“Mmh. I dunno. It just doesn’t seem’mportant.”

 

There’s a momentary pause, as if Partner is trying to solve a puzzle with a missing piece, a soft hum of thought reverberating into the speaker and rumbling against Yosuke’s cheek.

 

“But my favorite color is?”

 

“Is’not the same. I don’t know you’re favrite color. But I already’know who you’re.”

 

“And who am I?”

 

“My partner.”

 

There's a sharp inhale on the other end of the line, and a thump followed by a too loud thud that sounds like Partner has dropped the phone. After a second the speaker crackles again and he can hear the others soft breaths, his voice thoughtful and filled with a gentle warmth that Yosuke would try to label if his brain wasn’t muddled with exhaustion.

 

“You should get some sleep, Yosuke.”

 

His hand is already loosening around the phone before the other can finish their sentence, screen dropping face down on the couch cushion as Yosuke tucks a fist under his chin and shifts in his sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a reallllly hard time navigating through the first convo for these two, but I hope I did it justice. 
> 
> Another huge thanks to everyone supporting this story, sharing it, making art for it, and just making me blush. You are all so so amazing. 
> 
> More to come soon!


	14. Escalation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap guys, thanks again for all of the support and feedback! I cannot believe how good of a response this is getting! It means sooooo much!

When the first whisper of consciousness causes Yosuke to uncurl himself from his blankets and stretch languidly towards the window, the first thing to get his attention is the sharp pain that radiates through his neck and into his shoulders. He raises a palm to eyes groggily, wincing at the ache in his back. It’s then that he notices he’s on his couch, and suddenly, with enough force to send him rocketing up and send his vision reeling across the room, Yosuke remembers last night. The phone call.

Maybe it was a dream? Some horribly concocted nightmare induced by midterms approaching and straining himself too hard between school and work. But his hands are fumbling with the phone, and when he presses the power button and a red “0 Battery” flashes once across the screen, Yosuke is bolting off the couch and down the hall, nearly falling three times when his socks slide on the hardwood. He plugs in his phone next to his desk and sits cross legged on the bedroom floor, back hunched protectively over the screen as he watches the percent bar slowly charge up, groaning with frustration when the battery reaches four percent and it still won’t turn on. Another few agonizing minutes later the screen turns blue and the booting animation plays, the phone's logo flashing across the phone as Yosuke taps his knee on the floor, drilling a rhythm into his head that matches the crescendo of his impatience. The phone menu appears and Yosuke is quick to open his call log, all breath stalling in his lungs when he sees the most recent phone call.

 

__________

Outgoing Call

Partner

2:16am (2 hours 47 minutes)

__________

 

Yosuke clenches the phone in his hand, listening to the plastic bend in his grasp. It wasn’t a dream. He called Partner. And Partner _answered._ He can still hear his soft voice rumbling against Yosuke’s ear, warm and rough from sleep and not like Yosuke imaged he would sound, but it makes his stomach do a somersault, nevertheless.

He closes out the call log and notices that his phone has three new texts, opening them with a swipe of his fingers and leaning back on one palm.

 

_Chie_

_7:23am_

_Dont 4get that Teddie is taking ur shift 2day. U looked like u needed rest last night anywys._

 

____________

 

_Teddie_

_8:15am_

_YOSUKE THX 4 LETTING ME WRK 4 U TODAY. I OWE U BEARY MUCH ʕ♡˙ᴥ˙♡ʔ  ｡･ﾟ･ﾟʕﾟ >ᴥ<ʔ･ﾟ･｡ _

 

____________

 

_Chie_

_8:17am_

_If u get the chance, come pick up ur paycheck 2day._

 

Yosuke ignores the texts, and gets up from the floor, leaving his phone charging on his desk while he walks into the kitchen to get breakfast. His fridge is disappointingly bare, and he writes a note on the fridge to pick up groceries after he picks up his paycheck. With a stomach full of cold leftover rice, Yosuke walks to the bathroom and steps into the shower, icy water hitting his skin and shocking him out of his sleep induced grogginess. It does nothing for his sore muscles, spending all night sleeping on the couch has left his neck stiff and uncomfortable, and by the time he is toweling off he is not only shivering from the cold water, but even more wound up than he was when he woke up on his springy couch. He pulls on a clean shirt while grumbling complaints to himself that are lost in the fabric of his collar, walking to the bedroom and grabbing is phone off his desk before he collapses back onto the couch and sends a text.

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_10:02am_

_got the day off so i gues im just going to sit around and watch tv all day. I should probbly do sum studyn too. Jiraya._

 

He waits a few minutes for Partner’ usually quick response, but after awhile Yosuke’s impatience gets the best of him and he ends up sitting on the couch playing guitar, fingers picking mindlessly at the strings while his same, scribbled on, notepad sits propped on one knee. At one o’clock his stomach growls, interrupting his reverie with a sharp pain that radiates through his stomach. He checks his phone, sees that there are no new text messages, then walks to the fridge, opening and shutting it several times as if hoping something edible will materialize. With no such luck he grabs the post it off the fridge and crumbles it up, slinging his messenger bag over one shoulder and shouldering his way out of his apartment and into the landing. One short trip to work later and he has a wallet full of enough yen to pay his electric bill and buy enough cheap ramen to last him until next week. Teddie insists that Yosuke stay for a bit and have something to eat, but Yosuke did not get the day off so that he could sit in the lobby of his work. Instead, he has lunch at Aiya’s where he grabs a small matcha green tea frappucino and an order of dango, before walking to the grocery store and sending another text.

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:52_

_just grabbed lunch at aiyas, i glancd over at ur seat but no on was there, wouldv been kinda weird to bump into each other, rite? Jiraya._

 

He chews on a piece of dango and reads the text thoughtfully, it’s weird to go this long into the day without hearing from Partner, but Yosuke assumes he’s probably pretty busy, or maybe he’s just got too much to do at work today, so he pockets his phone and goes to the checkout to bag his groceries, arms full of too many packages of instant ramen.

At five in the evening Yosuke is reclining at his desk, two ramen cups lying empty on their sides, swiveling in small semi circles on the table, as Yosuke glares angrily at his textbook and sends Partner another text.

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:02pm_

_what period did japan implement bonus pay Jiraya._

 

Yosuke waits until his phone screen reads 5:16pm before tilting his head back and groaning towards the ceiling, his textbook laying forgotten with the disbanded ramen cups on his table.

 

By seven Yosuke has decided that letting Teddie work for him today was a terrible idea, seeing as he has now spent the last hour and forty five minutes laying on his living room floor with his legs propped parallel on the wall, and the headphones on his neck playing the same song for the eleventh time. In that time he’s sent Partner three new texts, none of which have gotten a response. Yosuke taps his toe on the wall to beat of the song, watching his phone screen flick from eight o’clock, to nine, and then from nine to ten.

It’s not that Yosuke’s being needy, he’s not some first year school girl with a crush, and the very idea of coming off as clingy makes him snort loudly in disgust. It’s just, him and Partner have been talking everyday for months, he’s never gone this long without responding to a text, or sending one of his own. And Yosuke knows that it’s worry that has begun churning sourly in his stomach, not jealousy. His mind begins to wander back into the same string of thoughts that he has been actively trying to distract himself from since the sun went down. “He’s not avoiding you.” Yosuke says the words out loud, as if hoping giving voice to them will create some sort of tangible reality that he can grab onto for balance. It doesn’t work, and instead his voice sounds weak and croaky, easily conveying all of the worries he is trying to keep shoved into the pit of his stomach where the nervous tension is building.

At 10:24 Yosuke calls him, listening to the phone ring seven times before it is sent to an automatic voicemail, each pause between rings making Yosuke lean forward on his knees, half hearing the hiss and click of someone answering the phone before the phone rings again and disrupts the illusion. At 10:32 he calls again. And when there is still no answer Yosuke feels his arms lock up with tension, his heart pounding hard and fast until all he can do is sit cross legged on the floor, eyes staring at the smudged floor to ceiling window that sits on the opposite side of his living room, watching his reflection in the glass, outlined by the city that sits four stories below.

 

At 11:32 his phone buzzes in his lap, and Yosuke is jerked out of his dormant trance as his palms slap down on the phone and he jerks it up to his nose, eyes darting across the caller id that is written in white print on the screen.

 

_Incoming call_

_Partner_

 

His thumb swipes the accept button before he can even fully process his relief, his mouth moving on his own accord as he holds the speaker up to his cheek.

 

“Partner?”

 

“Yosuke… hey.”

 

His voice is strained and low and he sounds _tired_ , like someone who just spent twelve hours doing brain surgery and now has to cook a five course meal. Knowing Partner, he’s probably qualified to do both of those things.

 

“Hey, you okay? I tried to call you a couple times but-”

 

“Yeah… I’m fine. Sorry, I had my phone turned off most of the day I-” Partner’s words falter to a stop, and he breathes a long sigh into the receiver that crackles in Yosuke’s ears.

 

“Hey man, it’s okay. No biggie, really. I was just worried, is all. More importantly, are you okay? You sound kind of stressed.”

 

The line goes quiet on the other end, and Yosuke can hear Partner breath, “You were worried?” Into the speaker in a dazed and confounded tone that is muffled in the receiver, as if he was saying it more to himself.

 

“Well, yeah. Of course. We’re partners.” Yosuke replies in a plain and even voice, as if his answer is obvious, and it earns a soft laugh from the other end of the phone, Partner's voice significantly lighter and almost relieved when he continues.

 

“Yeah… of course. I’m sorry, I should’ve let you know that I would be out of contact all day, it just… happened kind of suddenly.” He breathes, and there’s a moment of thoughtful hesitation before he continues, “um.. My parents called.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Yosuke doesn’t know _all_ the details of Partner’s relationship with his parents, but he knows enough to understand that it’s strained, to say the least, and Yosuke was under the impression that Partner had gone so far as to cut off contact with them. He mentions this when he continues.

 

“I thought you, like, cut ties with them? How’d they get ahold of you?”

 

Partner sighs into the receiver, this time heavier and sounding almost as tired as he did when he initially picked up the phone.

 

“I’m honestly not sure, I-. I thought that when I moved here I had cut off all contact with them. I mean, I left all my stuff there, my computer, my contacts, hell, I left my _phone_ there. I got a new number and everything. I guess I should’ve known they’d figure out how to get a hold of me eventually I just… I mean, I’m their son.”

 

“Well, I mean… what’d they want? You’re an adult, so they can’t really force you to come back. Plus, from what I understand they aren’t helping you financially, right?”

 

“Definitely not. I left all of their _help_ back in Tokyo when I dropped out of Law School there. They… said they just wanted to talk. I mean, I feel like I should want to fix things with them, if they’re being sincere, but… Yosuke living there was so _bad._ They were controlling, and manipulative, and I worked so hard to get as far away from that as possible I-.” Partner’s voice breaks on the other line, and before Yosuke can worry that his partner is having some kind of horrible mental break down and oh-shit-what-should-I-do, his voice breaks back in, stronger and carrying none of the tremors it had a moment ago, “My mom says she’s sorry. That she wants me to come visit. But what if I go there and they make me stay? What if they say something and suddenly I’m stuck sitting through the same business conversations and they’re presenting me with nice girls that are the daughters of some upper class families with titles and I’m being told to settle down and be their _perfect son_ , and Yosuke, I can’t.”

 

The last bit carries more than a little bitterness, and Yosuke assumes he’s speaking from experience, he leans against the kitchen counter, listening to a door click and shut on Partner’s end before the speaker is filled with more of his steady, light breathing.

 

“Hey, look, obviously they did some really shitty things to you. And if you ask me, you don’t owe them anything, _especially_ not some talk, if it’s got you this worked up. It sounds to me like there was a pretty good amount of emotional abuse going on back there, and if you’re not ready to have to deal with that again, than don’t.”

 

“Emotional abuse?”

 

“Yeah, you know, when people mess with your emotions and manipulate you into doing what they want for you and stuff. I mean, sure, they might intend well, but the only person who should be deciding what’s best for you, is _you.”_

 

He hears fabric shift through the speaker, and Partner hums softly in response.

 

“Thanks Yosuke. I guess, I’ve just been alone for so long. Even when I lived with them I was always alone, they make it sound like they miss me… and part of me wants to believe that but, if I went back there I’d just end up alone _again.”_

 

“Hey, partner,” Yosuke prods gently, his finger tracing a circle on the cabinets where his hand rests on the counters ledge, “You’re not alone, okay. You’ve got me. We’re partners.”

 

Yosuke shifts against the cabinets, turning around and leaning on the counter top with his hips, Partner sighs steadily in response, a new quiet falling between them that carries none of the tension and worry it did before. “I wish you were here right now.”

 

Yosuke pauses, his answer weighted and faint, “Yeah, me too.”

 

There’s a heavy pause between them, as if Partner is thinking very carefully about what he says next. Yosuke feels his stomach twist, the tension being held steadily in his gut as the silence goes on for several more seconds. When Partner speaks again, his voice is barely a whisper that hisses into Yosuke’s ear.

 

“What would you do?” He hears Partner shuffle on the other line, his breathing tight and nervous, “If you were here?”

 

Yosuke feels the floor drop from under him, he feels the room spin and tilt until his heart is pounding too noisily in his ears, and he has to grip the counter for support.

 

“W-what would I do?” Yosuke squeaks out weakly, his voice embarrassingly shaky as he laughs nervously into the receiver, “C’mon partner.. Don’t make me say stuff like that.”

 

Partner’s response sounds shy and slightly disappointed, but he still manages to chuckle lightly as he responds, “Sorry, Yosuke. I uh… I was just wondering.”

 

"Heh.. You umm.. Thinking about me Partner?"

 

Yosuke tries for humor but instead it comes out rough and forced, his fingers twitching anxiously on the counter. 

 

Yosuke swallows the thickness in his mouth before steeling his resolve and stumbling forward blindly, “I… would lean in against you, I’d probably wrap my arms around your waist. I wonder what it feels like…”

 

 

“And?” He whispers expectantly, an anxious edginess rattling in his lungs and making the word rough and tense.

 

 It’s not as if the thoughts are foreign, he’s spent a lot of nights lately falling asleep with a picture of partner’s hands trailing up his waist and sides flickering through his dreams, leaving his skin prickling and cool with sweat. They’re not foreign so much as they’re strange to vocalize, as if speaking them into the air somehow gives his feelings life.

 

_“I’d kiss you."_

Yosuke’s eyes widen and he clamps a hand over his mouth, cheeks burning with heat. How had that gotten out? Where had that admission came from, that it managed to slip through his lips and into the speaker before he could even process it enough to even attempt to keep it in? Partner inhales sharply on the other line, and the sound is seared into Yosuke’s mind.

 

He bites his tongue, wincing at the taste of copper and digs his nails into his palm, it stings, and he focuses on that pinprick of feeling as the next words rush from his mouth.

 

"I think you’re taller than me. I imagine you being taller than me anyways, so then I’d kiss your throat… your jaw… I’d run my hands up your back and-”

 

 _“Yosuke.”_ His name is a rough and shuddery breath, and suddenly Yosuke is leaning even more heavily on the counter, his knees weak and shaking and his heart thumping erratically from the sound of _his_ name spoken by _that_ voice. Yosuke trails two fingers up to his lips, pressing them gently against his mouth and wondering if Partner’s would have the same, soft, pressure. He runs his hand down his jaw and onto his neck, his skin hot and and prickling as his fingers ghost down his side and dip over his hips.

 

 _“Yosuke I-_ ”

 

"Are you thinking about me, Partner? Thinking about my lips touching yours, then moving down to your neck, kissing and biting you moving down over your shoulder?" Yosuke continues without prompting, nails digging into the skin of his shoulder and leaving small purple crescents that leave his skin tingling from the imitation, 

 

“What would you do to me, partner?” Yosuke mumbles in shakily, and the voice on the other end hitches.

 

Yosuke hears a heavy breath on the other line, the sound of fabric and friction, and Partner gasps into the phone, the sound pulling an involuntary moan from his lips that hitches as he fumbles with the button of his jeans.

 

“I'd my fingers running over your skin, trailing them over your stomach, teasing you. I'd hold your waist and grind into you until I can feel your skin through your clothes, and _-”_

 

 _"Keep going-"_ Yosuke breathes out, tugging impatiently at his boxers as he listens to Partner's shuddering half-formed reply.

 

"I want you, Yosuke. I want to  _fuck-"_  Yosuke hears the hoarse curse and a loud bang cracks through the speakers. His phone jerks against his ear, the noise loud enough to startle him from his thoughts and leave him tense and shaking. 

  
“H-hey… Partner? You okay?”

 

He can hear another muted curse on the other end, a series of clicks and fumbling and then the phone fills with static and Partner is back, laughing weakly into the speaker.

 

“I.. uh- dropped my phone.” He chuckles deprecatingly, Yosuke lets the statement settle into his hazy mind before he starts laughing too.

He listens to the other laugh for another few seconds, the tension draining from the air as Partner says something about the fall almost breaking his screen. Yosuke pulls a water out of the fridge across from him, drinking the whole thing as he focuses on steadying his heart.

 

“Hey, Yosuke?” Partner says softly into the speaker, voice tinged with humor and affection.

 

“Mmh?” Yosuke hums back, swallowing a mouth full of water and wiping his mouth.

 

“It’s uhm.. Late. We should get to bed.”

 

Yosuke glances at his phone, reading the time, 12:31am, he sighs reluctantly and nods his head, as if Partner can see the gesture, “Yeah… you’re right.”

 

“Goodnight, Yosuke.”

 

“Night, Partner.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if things go as planned, these two will be meeting in about three chapters. *taps fingers thoughtfully*
> 
> Another big thank you to all of this art and support and feedback and I just cannot put into words how much this ll means to me. Like, seriously, thank you all so much. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this update! More to come soon!


	15. Leverage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter probably needs some work, but I need to get it updated before I have to leave in *checks phone* six minutes. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:12am_

_Meiji._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:16am_

_??? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:16am_

_My phone was off yesterday so I never got your text, but to answer your question, Japan implemented bonus pay in the Meiji period._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:23am_

_uhh thx prtner, but isnt it kind of early? We were up pretty late last nite. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:23am_

_Why? We would have been up much later if you were actually here._

 

___________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:24am_

_Srsly dude? Its too early to b comin on to me. Goin bck to bed. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:25am_

_I’ll call you on my lunch break today._

 

____________

 

_Incoming Call_

_Partner_

_12:32pm (22:41)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:42pm_

_After I called you I started thinking of where I would take you, if we actually went on a date._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:42pm_

_this should b interestin. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:44pm_

_I suppose we could go see a movie. And maybe grab dinner at one of the restaurants in downtown. But that seems too normal, you know?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:44pm_

_woah wait. were not normal? mybe we could do somethin exciting. we could go for a motorcycle ride or cliff diving? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:45pm_

_Cliff diving? Yosuke, I’d like to live to make it to a second date._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:46pm_

_I gues ur rite. A movie doesn’t sound bad. but maybe we could watch it at ur place instead of goin to a theatr. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:46pm_

_My place huh? Isn’t that a bit forward?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:47pm_

_wat do u think were goin to do when we see each other? shake hands? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:49pm_

_I guess you're right. So dinner and a movie at my place. I could cook for you, if you want?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:49pm_

_partner u cook? how did i not know this? wat can u cook? curry is my favorit Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:50pm_

_I can make a lot of things. I’m cooking dinner right now, actually._

 

_image.att (a picture of perfectly browned, ginger pork, sitting on a bed of rice, steam fogging the corners of the lense, the meal has been perfectly plated and looks like it could have been bought at a restaurant.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:50pm_

_WAit U MaDE THAT? Jiraya._

 

_5:51pm_

_DUDE THAT LOOKS AMAZING. Jiraya._

 

_5:51pm_

_MY MOUTH IS WATERing. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:53pm_

_Really? I usually make dinner every night, so I can pack the leftovers in a bento for work the next day. I’ve got some friends over tonight though, so I made extra._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:54pm_

_What do i have to do to get u to cook me dinner? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_5:54pm_

_I already said I’d cook you dinner on our date._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_5:56_

_I mean rite now. I’m starving. Jiraya._

 

_5:57pm_

_Image.att. (a picture of two legs reclining out on a chair. A restaurant table can be seen peaking out of the top corner. The camera is angled to make the legs look long and thin, a pair of red skinny jeans covering them until they disappear under the table.)_

 

_5:57pm_

_wat will these get me? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:01pm_

_Yosuke I have company. This isn’t a good time._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:02pm_

_fine. wat about this?_

_Image.mms_

_(A picture taken by a front facing camera, the photo shows the upper torso of a man’s body. He is leaning back in a chair, the same restaurant caught in blurry motion behind him. The picture covers everything from the waistband of his red jeans, up to his collar. He look surprisingly thin and lanky, one arm relaxed and hanging off the back of the chair while the other stretches off screen, holding the camera. He’s wearing a deep v-neck shirt with red trim, red cranes are arching up the front.)_

 

_6:03pm_

_Do I need to go higher? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:03pm_

_Yosuke, please._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:04pm_

_i guess i can wait to try ur cooking until our date. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:05pm_

_I will get you back for this._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_6:05pm_

_i look forward to it partner. Jiraya._

 

_“Yosuke, what do you think?”_

 

“Huh?” Yosuke looks up from where he is pointing the camera towards the floor, his legs sprawled out in front of him in a lax position, his heels digging into the floor beneath the table.

He snaps the photo and sends it off with a smirk, stomach growling as he thinks about Partner’s home cooked meal and looks up at the cheap bowl of ramen sitting in front of him.

 

“Yukiko suggested we do an open mic night at the coffee shop. We can have some musicians come and play and hopefully it’ll draw in a crowd.”

 

“Yeah, whatever, sounds good.” Yosuke mumbles, opening the new message with his thumb and snorting at partner’s lack of composure.

 

“Just ignore him, he’s probably texting that wrong number again.”

 

“Yosuke, you play music right? You should perform on the open mic night. It’d probably encourage people to join in.”

 

Yukiko’s voice is a dull hum in the back of Yosuke’s head, he nods along thoughtlessly as he slurps a mouthful of noodles out of his bowl.

 

“So it’s settled, Yosuke’ll play at the coffee shop.”

 

Chie, Yukiko, and Kanji all hum and chatter in agreeance, Yosuke nods along, completely oblivious to what they’re saying as he holds the front facing camera up to his chest and snaps a picture.

 

__________

 

“Uh… Narukami? Are you okay?”

 

Yu gives Rise a wide eyed look, nodding too quickly as he dishes up the rest of the pork and puts the dishes in his sink with shaking hands. Somewhere in his living room he hears a bang and a crash, followed by Rise’s friend Teddie saying sorry about something. Yu doesn’t care. He is trying too hard to close the message tab on his phone to investigate the noise.

 

“Hey, what’re you looking at?” Rise asks, her voice seeping with curiosity as she jerks her hand forward and snatches the phone from his fingers.

 

_“Rise wait!”_

 

“Hey, is this the same person you were- _oh._ ”

 

Rise’s large brown eyes have gotten wide enough to disappear behind her bangs, and Yu feels the color leave his face as she uses two fingers to pinch the zoom on his camera and scroll her way up Yosuke’s chest. It’s not that the picture is lude, but it still feels like a gross invasion of Yosuke’s privacy, and Yu is still standing numbly with one hand outstretched towards the phone.

 

“Uhh… Narukami… is this… _Yosuke?”_ Rise mumbles, her copper eyes slowly raising to meet his own, filled with some intense curiosity and- _excitement?_

 

“What?” He feels the floor disappear underneath him, somewhere in the living room Teddie is yelling about how Yu has a very nice house, and he’s sure that somewhere behind him the leftover pork he had left on the stove to simmer is burning, but he can only stare at Rise, unable to look away as a small smile quirks up one end of her lip, and then grows to consume her whole face in a smug grin that holds the intensity of a sun.

 

“Don’t tell me that _you’re_ the girl Yosuke is always texting?”

 

 _Girl?_ Yu wonders to himself, willing his mouth to move even before his vocals can start producing sound.

 

“You know Yosuke?”

 

“Of course I do! He’s a friend of mine! He works with Teddie.” Rise nods to the living room, her voice dropping an octave as if she’s trying to avoid getting the blonde’s attention.

 

“Yosuke… ?” Yu tries again, slower. The room has stopped spinning as much but now his brain feels like it has to pull his thoughts through molasses before they can reach his mouth.

 

“I can’t believe it’s _you_ . Y’know, Yosuke had us all convinced it was some girl he was dating, well all of us except Naoto, she didn’t seem to think he was telling the truth. And _of course_ I was suspicious! But this is big! If only I would have known that _that's_  what you were after sooner…” Rise sighs longingly, a far away look clouding her eyes before she giggles and bounces on her toes, grabbing onto Yu’s shoulder and prying the phone back from his hands.

 

“Oh this is so _romantic._ I think he’s having dinner with Chie right now! We should _join them!_ ” Rise gasps, clutching at Yu’s shoulder and digging her nails into his shirt as she drags him towards the door. He sputters in response, mind still reeling too much to put up any sort of applausable resistance. Yu manages to tug her back right as she reaches the door knob, his strength returning along with his senses as the last five minutes finally process in his brain.

 

“Uh, Rise, we can’t. I already made dinner, and um.. I’d really rather the first time we meet not be under,” He winces, “ _these_ circumstances.”

Yuu gestures up and down, his hair disheveled from Rise’s grabbing, his shirt adorned with stains from cooking and unbuttoned loosely around his collar, and his feet tucked snugly into a pair of cat slippers with tiny calico ears. Rise looks him over, nodding slowly and biting her lip in understanding as Teddie barges towards the door.

 

“Are we going on a field trip! I thought Sensei was making dinner?” Teddie stands on his toes to meet Yu’s gaze, his nickname for Yu (who he’s known for less than two hours) earning another giggle from Rise as she releases his arm.

 

“No, we’re not Teddie. Narukami was worried he forgot an ingredient, but it turns out he’s got _everything_ he needs.” Rise gives him a knowing wink, steering him back to the kitchen as Teddie huffs and flops onto the couch.

 

Once the pair have returned to the privacy of Yu’s tiny kitchen, Rise hoists herself onto the counter and kicks her legs against the cabinet, Yu leaning heavily with his palms against the counter as he lets his heart beat settle back to normal.

 

“So when _are_ you going to meet him?” Rise prods, poking his shoulder as Yu scrunches close his eyes.

 

“I- don’t really know. We’ve talked about it but…”

 

“Well, I won’t tell anyone until you’re ready.” Rise adds gently, and Yu looks up to see her brown eyes full of comprehension.

 

“Not even Yosuke?” Yu asks meekly, his voice strained and relieved as he feels all the tension leave his stance.

 

“Not even Yosuke.”

 

Yu gives Rise a weak smile, and she grins back cheekily as she hops off the counter and walks over next to him, shoulders brushing as she stares at the plated meals.

 

“Well, let’s get all of this served up.”

 

Yu nods in agreement and grabs the plates, Rise opening the fridge and grabbing drinks as they meet Teddie in the living room with arms full of food.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE:  
> So I was planning on adding another chapter tonight, but instead I went back and rehashed chapter 1-15. There are no huge changes, it's mostly just some tweaks with the layout/ grammatical corrections that I've been meaning to make for awhile. Chapter 14's phone call got a bit of an update, I wanted to fix up the steamy bits and make the flow a little better, so if you want to check that out, feel free. Other than that I'll be posting another update tomorrow, but it may be kind of late because I actually have stuff to do for once. 
> 
> SO MANY THANK YOUS TO EVERYONE FOLLOWING ALONG WOW.
> 
> I can't even. I am happier than Teddie's bear emoji's. We're getting close to when they meet now, and closer to the end. Thanks to everyone supporting this story and being amazing and stuff. I am beyond flattered. I can't even. Just wow.


	16. Text Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another text chapter? Yes!
> 
> This is kind of short and honestly I'm just uploading this so I can keep to my one chapter a day thing. Today kind of kicked my ass and I have to be up early tomorrow... so here *pushes update forward nervously*

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_3:42am_

_hey u up? Jiraya._

 

_3:47am_

_sry. i cant sleep. Jiraya._

 

_3:48am_

_I keep listenin to the same song ovr and ovr agian. Jiraya._

 

_3:50am_

_u fill my head with u, shall i write it in a letter? should i try to get it down? oh u fill my head with pieces of a song i cant get out Jiraya._

 

_4:00am_

_i been listenin to this since liek 1. Jiraya._

 

_4:06am_

_sry partner. its kinda lame. Jiraya_

 

_4:06am_

_i was thinkin about wat u said on the phone. about doing wat makes me happy. Jiraya._

 

_4:07am_

_i changed my major to music today. Jiraya._

 

_4:08am_

_i dnt think i wouldv done it without u. Jiraya._

 

_4:08am_

_thanks partner. Jiraya_

 

_4:07am_

_nite. Jiraya._

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_7:56pm_

_Do you think this matches?_

_image.mms_

_(A picture of a mirror with a man’s reflection in it, the picture is slightly blurred, but covered everything from the man’s shoes to his neck, cutting off at the collar bone. He is wearing black dress slacks that cut off right above his ankle, black shoes, and a dress shirt with sleeves folded up below the elbow, layered over the shirt is a grey sweater covered in dozens of small cats. The man is tall and lean, skinny but well defined with muscle. A small tan cat is staring unnervingly from his chest, dozens of spotted and grey felines surrounding it in no particular pattern.)_

 

____________

 

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_7:59pm_

_I rlly dnt want to kno where ur going in that. Jiraya._

 

_8:00pm_

_if you dress like this in persn i have sum things to reconsider Jiraya._

 

_8:00pm_

_i’d definitely notice u if we met on the street. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Xxx-xxx-4431_

_8:01pm_

_You think it’s sexy._

 

_8:02_

_Is this angle better?_

_Image.mms._

_(The same figure is still standing in the mirror, but now facing the opposite direction, their back to the camera with the lens zoomed in on their… rear.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:05pm_

_gr8. so if i dnt recognize ur sweatr i can just go around starin at guy’s asses. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_8:06pm_

_I’m going to a work party._

 

_8:07pm_

_I’m not taking it off._

 

_8:09pm_

_Have to go, I’m running late._

 

_8:09pm_

_I’ll call you tonight._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:10pm_

_have fun. Don’t lose ur sweater. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_8:10pm_

_It is a nice sweater._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:21am_

_Ive never been to a wrok party before._

 

_1:22am_

_I think i mighte be drunk._

 

_1:30am_

_Yosuke_

 

_Missed Call_

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:33am_

 

_1:35am_

_I think youre aslep._

 

_1:40am_

_I just got home._

 

_1:41am_

_im realy glad i knwo you._

 

_1:42am_

_really really glad._

 

__________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_7:36am_

_holy shit partner u were drunk last nite? Jiraya._

 

_____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_7:36am_

_Too early. Go back to bed._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_7:37am_

_rlly wishing I wouldnt hav gone to bed early last nite. Jiraya._

 

_7:38am_

_Sry I didnt answr the phone. Jiraya._

 

_7:40am_

_I wouldv come picked u up. Jiraya._

 

_7:51am_

_Partner? Jiraya._

 

_8:00am_

_make urself some green or ginger tea for the headache and nausea. hope u feel bettr, also get some sleep Jiraya._

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more update and these nerds should be meeting in person!
> 
> Thanks everyone for the support and feedback! It really means so so much! I know I don't respond to every single comment, but honestly reading the reactions of you guys is my favorite part about writing this. A thousand thank you's to everyone leaving comments, art, and just making me into a blushing fool. You are all so completely awesome.


	17. Make it Easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Countdown. Over.

Yosuke is woken up by a text ten minutes after he goes to sleep. At least, _he’s_ sure it’s only been ten minutes, even if the time on his phone screen reads 8:23am. He opens the text with bleary eyes and squints at the screen, nose scrunching up as he stifles a yawn and curls his toes in the sheets.

_Chie_

_8:23am_

_the music gig is tonite. B at the store by 7._

Yosuke blinks dumbly at the text, head almost tilting to the side in a visual display of his confusion before he decides Chie is probably just being stupid, or texted the wrong person, and types out a reply.

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:25am_

_wtf? music gig? whatre u talking about? Jiraya._

His initial response after he sends off the reply is to roll over and go back to sleep. But at this point the sun is already skittering across his floor in warm yellow slits, cast from the blinds of his window, and Yosuke isn’t particularly good at falling back into anything resembling a restful sleep after he’s already been woken up. So instead he groans loudly in frustration, willing Chie to hear his disapproval from wherever it is she has sent the text, and rolls out of the futon and onto the floor, cold hard wood biting into his bare skin. He makes it all the way to the kitchen and gets a pot of coffee started before he receives his next text, a spoonful of cereal stretched halfway to his open mouth when Chie’s name flashes across the screen and Yosuke grunts in annoyance, dropping the spoon back into the bowl and watching milk slosh onto the counter as he grabs his phone and opens the text.

_Chie_

_8:35am_

_Srsly? R u that dumb? You said last week tht u would play at our open mic night at the coffee shop._

Yosuke reads the message at the same moment that he has shoveled another spoon of cereal into his mouth, successfully spewing it onto the counter as he rereads the text in surprise.

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:35am_

_WOAH WHAT? Jiraya._

_8:06am_

_what the hell Chie? I didnt agre to that! find another preformer cause it is NOT going to happen. Jiraya._

Yosuke wipes the milk from his nose, grabbing the bowl and dropping it forgotten into the sink before he begins wiping down the counter with ire, suddenly set on cleaning off the spilt milk _and_ any other substance that might have been dropped onto the surface in the last ten years. The phone buzzes next to his hand.

_Chie_

_8:10am_

_This is so TYPICAL._

_8:10am_

_look, I asked u 2 do it and u said yes. so u better have ur ass at the coffee shop by 7 tonite or ur goin to be workin closing shifts all through exams._

“What the hell?” Yosuke growls, fingers curling around the phone in frustration as he checks the message to make sure he read it right. He actually agreed to this? The only thing he can think of is that maybe he had just gone along with it because he was texting Partner. He shakes his head slowly, disbelief tugging at the corners of his mouth as he heaves a sigh of resignation and grabs the coffee pot from the machine, drinking straight from the spout while he mashes out a mature and respectful response.

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:14am_

_What are you 12? U cant just threatn me w shitty shifts. Besides, i dnt even have a song to play. Jiraya._

_Chie_

_8:14am_

_im your boss. I can wrk u whatever i want._

_8:14am_

_c u at 7._

Yosuke runs a hand through his hair in frustration, sliding the coffee pot back onto the counter and glaring holes into his phone. He needs some kind of warning, he can’t just come up with a song in less than a day. Yosuke glances at the guitar that sits in the corner next to his tv, walking to the table and scooping up the notebook that he’s been gradual filling over the past few weeks. It’s not ideal. It honestly still needs a lot of work, and he’s not sure how comfortable he feels about _this_ particular song being show cased to all his friends and regular customers, but at the same time, it’s not like _Partner_ is going to be there listening, and if he starts now, he should be able to iron out the last few verses.

Yosuke flops down on his couch, guitar in hand, and spreads the messy, pen filled, notebook out on the table in front of him, baggy band shirt hanging loosely off one shoulder, and flannel pajamas tucked under his legs as he strums out the first chord. Yeah, this can work.

He ends up finishing up the song a little before five, and although it’s not entirely up to his liking, it gives him enough time to shower and notice the rumbling of his stomach before he has to get dressed and head to the coffee shop. He takes a quick, cold, shower before prepping a cup of instant noodles, sitting on the couch and strumming through the chorus a few last times as the noodles steam. At half an hour til seven Yosuke discards his empty noodle cup, grabs a warm water from the fridge, and goes to his room to find a clean outfit. 

He ends up wearing a white scoop neck shirt and his red jeans, eyeing the accumulating snow outside before he wraps Partner’s scarf around his neck for good measure. He was kind of hoping his partner would be there the first time he sang this song anyways, so in a way, he feels like this will be the same.

__________

Yu taps the thick sheaf of papers on the edge of his desk, running his fingers along the edges until they line up smoothly, and nudging them into the corner of the desk until they line up with it’s lip. The work day went by decently fast, and Yu runs his hands down his dress shirt to press out the wrinkles before sliding his seat back and grabbing his bag from the floor. He waves goodbye to receptionist he passes in the lobby, pointedly avoiding eye contact after he had made a fool of himself at the office party last week. Apparently he had given the woman the wrong impression, that impression being that he likes… well, women. She gives him a sultry smile and winks, fingers waving in the air as Yu tucks his head down and makes his retreat.

He makes it back to his apartment by 5:42, toeing off his shoes and hanging his jacket by the door. A winter chill has begun creeping into the air at night, and Yu has regretted, on more than one occasion, leaving his scarf at Aiya’s. He decides to take a shower, the cold air making his skin prickle uncomfortably, and by the time Yu steps out of the bathroom, tendrils of steam following behind him, he glances out the window and sees that it’s begun to snow. He makes for the kitchen to set water for tea to boil when his phone begins ringing in his jacket pocket. Yu steps over to the door and pulls the device from his coat, checking the caller id before sliding his thumb across the screen curiously.

“Narukami! I’m so glad you answered.”

“Hey, Rise, what’s up?” He asks casually, walking back to the kitchen and filling a kettle with water.

“Are you busy right now?”

“Uh… no? I guess not? I got off work awhile ago and-”

“Oh good! Okay, I’m texting you an address right now, meet me there in hmm,” She hums on the other line, fabric shifting against the speaker as he assumes she checks the time, “twenty minutes? And look nice.”

“Uhh… why?” He asks in response, scratching the back of his neck curiously even though he’s already walking to his room to find a clean outfit, knowing by now that arguing with Rise is pointless.

“Just meet there okay. Do you still have that white dress shirt and grey sweater?”

“The cat one?”

_“No._ Not the cat one. The other grey one.”

“Why does no one like the cat one?” He pouts, holding a feline patterned sweater up to his eyes and frowning.

“Just wear the grey one, it looks good with your eyes.”

“Does that matter?”

_“Yes it matters._ Anyways, see you at seven, Narukami! Don’t be late!” Rise exclaims, and Yu reaches into his dresser to pull out a pair of black slacks and said sweater.

At 6:32 he receives a text from Rise with the address of wherever it is they’re meeting. At 6:45 he is tucking his shirt into his pants and rolling up the sleeves of the dress shirt, grey sweater bunching around his elbows, and grabbing his coat from next to the door. It ends up only being a ten minute walk to his destination, a small coffee shop in downtown that look slightly shabbier than Aiya’s. The inside is decently packed, and Yu ducks into the crowd and slips off his jacket, draping it over one arm as he spots Rise’s copper pigtails, swooshing back and forth at a small coffee bar. She has her usual green beverage in hand, a macha frappucino, he now knows, and she’s got something in a foam cup in her other hand, he assumes it’s for him.

 

The lighting is dim, and with the air as crisp as it is outside, the inside of the shop feels crowded and stuffy. It smells heavily of espresso and baked good, and hums with the sound of dozens of people muttering and laughing, at their respective tables. 

“Hey, this place is kind of busy for this late at night, don’t you think?”

Yu arrives at the back of the coffee shop and Rise smiles widely at him, too widely, he thinks, before thrusting the hot beverage into his hands and patting the stool next to her. Yu takes a seat, sipping on his drink while he waits for her response.

“Yeah, they’re doing a live performance tonight. It was Yukiko’s idea, I thought you might want to see it.” There’s that predatory smirk again, and Yu feels something uncomfortable curl in his stomach.

“Why would I-”

A microphone hisses with feedback from across the room, the fuzzy sound of someone tapping the receiver filling the speakers and drawing Yu’s attention to the small impromptu stage that’s been cleared in a corner of the shop. Rise made sure to get seats with a clear view.

 

Until this point Yu hasn't noticed the green aprons tied neatly around all the baristas waists, or Teddie, behind the counter, showing a female customer the heart he made with the foam in her latte.

He doesn't notice the boy sitting on a stool in the one cleared out part of the cafe, with a familiar grey scarf wrapped around his neck, grey and orange headphones peeking out from behind the fabric.

It's not until that boy opens his mouth, and the voice is clear and cheery and brighter than any sound Yu has ever heard but also glaringly familiar. 

_  
“Uhh… Hey, I’m Yosuke Hanamura, and this is a song I wrote.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support and love and everything all of you have done to show your appreciation, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, more to come soon!


	18. A Song for Yu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I got 4 hours of sleep i am so tired *heavy breathe* im going back to bed.

Yu’s first reaction is to stand up, shaking legs hitting the ground as he lurches out of the bar stool. He stands for all of two seconds before he realizes he’s not sure what he’s doing, tongue dry like sandpaper and a hand extended halfway out and hanging limply in the air as if he is trying to reach for the other boy through the crowd of seated guests between them. He feels like his brain has short circuited and then crashed during the restart, stuck in an eternal boot loop that consists of him standing numbly on the floor and staring wide eyed across the room as Yosuke introduces himself in a warm and crisp voice, the name repeating in his head over and over, spoken in his voice, as the room moves in fast forward around him, Yu standing motionless in the middle. He presses a palm to his eyes as if the scene in front of his is an illusion he can wipe away, forcing his legs to sit down in a mechanical motion that ends up shaking the bar stool as he snaps into a sitting position.

He knows Rise is watching him, he can see her in the corner of his eye, brown eyes sparkling mischievously as she watches Yu struggle to hide his surprise.

 

“I told you you’d want to see it.” She chuckles, and Yu has lost all ability to reply as Yosuke strums out a soft chord on the guitar in his lap and the room fills with his voice, amplified by the tinny speakers that sit to each side of him.

 

_“Can we just agree to both stop wasting time tonight_

_Every second is a second chance to get this right_

_I'm all in, it doesn't matter, I know what this is_

_Maybe I should be embarrassed to be saying this”_

 

The first thing Yu notices is that his voice sounds different, in person. And it’s not a bad different, now free of the phone static that typically accompanies his vocals. The sound is light and higher than it sounds through a receiver, nice enough to soothe some of the panic that grips Yu’s chest before his eyes trace along the floor and reach Yosuke’s shoes, then travel up his legs and torso to fixate on his face.

Yu watches him with wide eyes, trying to absorb every detail of his appearance. He had tried to imagine Yosuke before, but as it turns out, it’s almost impossible to conjure up a mental image of someone when you have literally nothing but some vague phone pictures to go on. His hair is a light caramel brown, darker at the roots which indicates he dyes it. His eyes are shut but Yu saw the color before he started strumming, a light brown that’s bright enough to convince him that someone caught the sun, bottled it up, and stuffed it into a person. He’s wearing orange framed glasses, something Yu hadn’t even considered, that he would wear glasses, but they frame his face nicely, making his jaw look pronounced and accentuating the curve of his smile, because of course he’s smiling, this is _Yosuke,_ the guy who has convinced Yu every time they’ve talked that he probably _is_ just one big crooked smile. He tries not to focus too hard on Yosuke’s neck, the same neck from the first photo of himself Yosuke had ever sent to Yu, wearing the same grey and orange headphones that had been on display in the photo. Seeing the image here, and real, and brought to life, is enough to make Yu feel lightheaded and numb, as if his face has been thrown in a fire and dipped in ice water at the same time.

 

_“You make it easy_

_And it should be easy_

_You make it easy_

_You make it easy”_

 

He’s really not sure why he reaches for his pocket and starts to pull out his phone, as if he is going to text Yosuke, because by now texting Yosuke is a natural habit that is engrained into the most simple and habitual part of his conscience.

 

_“Every gesture that you make toward me is sacrament_

_I won't bother even trying to make sense of it_

_There's a part of me that's wondering if I'm correct_

_This is probably as right as I am gonna get_

_You make it easy_

_And it should be easy_

_You make it easy_

_And it should be easy”_

 

But Yosuke is sitting on a bar stool less than twenty feet from where Yu sits, and the thought makes him feel too many things at once to possible hope to categorize his feelings into anything resembling intelligible. So instead he sits dumbly in his seat, because honestly there’s not much else he can do, and he’s sure he would have dropped his coffee on the floor if Rise hadn’t reached under his hand and gently slid it from his grasp, because Yosuke’s voice is filling the room, reverberating through his hears and  sticking to his brain like a debilitating putty, turning off any receptors he might have that would typically steer him into some kind of normalcy.

 

_“Oh-oh oh, you make it easy_

_And it should be easy_

_You make it easy_

_And it should be easy_

_If it's not worth doin' it right, let's not do it at all_

_It might be true, just might, not be totally false_

_I'd like to know what it's like to finally get what I want_

_But if it's not worth doin' it right, let's not do it at all”_

 

The song ends with a gentle strum as the chorus comes back down, Yosuke’s voice growing quiet and worn before it tapers off and the room is filled with his breath hissing through the microphone. There’s one singular moment of silence, Yosuke still sitting on the bar stool by the window and staring profusely at his shoes as if addressing the crowd may cause him to burst into flames. His cheeks are flushed and a rich shade of pink, and Yu isn’t sure if it’s from the exertion of singing or from the lyrics to the song he just sang, either way it’s an incredibly modest look, and if Yu wasn’t trying not to drown in the leftover tidal wave of emotions induced by Yosuke’s presence in the same room as him, he would probably call it cute.

Yu is the first to clap, giving his warmest smile, which he really doesn’t even have to try to fake. Yosuke’s face snaps up from the floor, leveling Yu a curious glance before he gives him a crooked smile that contains all the warmth of a thousand hot lattes with painted cats in the foam, and successfully floors Yu, his grey eyes widening as Yosuke looks at _him._ The rest of the room follows in applause less than half a beat later, and Yosuke’s eyes are ripped from his grasp at the same moment that he stammers out a thank you and hops off the bar stool, setting his guitar against the wall and giving a depreciating half wave.

 

“Uh- thanks everybody. Enjoy your drinks!”

 

“Soooo?” Rise purrs in his ear, and Yu would answer her but he’s pretty sure every muscle in his body has locked up in a state of shock, staring blindly ahead as he grips the counter behind him.

 

“What’d you think?” She tries again, and she’s about to hand him back his drink when her eyes widen and her mouth stretches into a smile that look far too pleased, snapping away from Yu’s attention and to the empty space directly behind him, “Yosuke! Hey, you did great. Did you write that song yourself?”

 

“Uh, yeah-”

 

The voice comes from right behind him, and Yu spins around on the bar stool with enough force to knock his foot into Yosuke’s shin. He reaches out and grabs Yosuke’s arm as the boy begins to drop to the floor, which, was probably mistake number two. Yosuke’s wrist is soft and warm, thin enough that Yu can feel the bone and the contact is enough to make him lurch forward in his seat in surprise, sending Yosuke the rest of the way to the floor even though Yu is now crouched halfway out of his seat with his fingers slipping up his wrist and into his palm.

 

“Hey, man, what the hell?” Yosuke groans, palm rubbing at his shin as Yu jerks his hand back as if he’s been burned.

 

“Sorry, you startled me I-”

 

“Heh, no it’s cool, it was my bad for sneaking up behind you like that.”

 

Yosuke picks himself up from the floor, brushing off his pants and extending a hand to Yu, fingers wiggling invitingly when the silver haired boy doesn’t immediately accept the handshake.

 

“Yosuke, this is Yu Narukami, I brought him along tonight to see you perform.” Rise interjects too warmly, giving Yu a pointed look as he nervously grasps Yosuke’s hand.

 

“Yeah, you were the first person to clap. Thanks for that, being up there can get kind of nerve racking.”

 

“N-no, you were really good! You wrote it yourself, right?”

Yu pulls his hand back to quickly, immediately slapping it onto his knee and gripping as hard as he can. Yosuke reaches a hand to the back of his neck and rubs, a nervous chuckle escaping his breath as his eyes make contact with the floor.

 

“Uh- yeah, I wrote it.. I uhm-”

 

“Yosuke, was that song about your _girlfriend?_

 

Yosuke’s face suddenly turns several shades of red, and none of them look particularly healthy, Teddie has shimmied his way up to the counter on the other side of Yu, large blue eyes dancing with innocent curiosity as he leans across the threshold and into Yu’s personal space.

 

“For the last time, I do not have a girlfriend.” Yosuke snaps pointedly, looking up from the floor long enough to give Teddie an icy glance.

 

“Yosuke’s right Teddie, I’ve been doing some investigating of my own, and I _really_ don’t think it’s a _girl_ Yosuke’s talking to.” Rise purrs humorously, eyes locked onto Yu even though she’s addressing the blond.

 

_“Yosuke why won’t you tell us who your scoring with-”_

 

“Because I’m not scoring with anyone dammit! Can’t you guys let it go for _one_ night?”

 

Yosuke reaches across Yu and grabs a bottled water from the coffee counter, slapping Teddie’s hand away when the blond tries to hand him a bottle himself. After he unscrews the cap he turns his attention back to Yu, clearly trying to direct the conversation away from himself.

 

“So, Yu, right? How’d you meet Rise? Do you live here in the city?”

 

“I moved here two years ago, I met Rise at a bar my first night here.” The answer comes cleanly from his tongue, and Yu half expects Yosuke to call him partner before he remembers that Yosuke probably, definitely, has no clue who he is.

 

He’s not really sure how to approach the subject, and he’s fairly certain that he should at least wait until they're alone. Something about sitting up straight and saying, “Oh hey by the way funny story I’m Partner ha ha ha-” doesn’t sound like it would be the best approach. Especially since he thinks Yosuke would have wanted them to meet on their own terms, Yu knows he certainly did, and he doesn’t want his being here to come of as some sort of ambush or invasion of personal space.

 

“Oh, you drink lattes huh?” Yosuke interjects, staring at the cup that is resting on the bar between his hands with an analytical gaze.

Yu wonders what Yosuke thinks of him, what kind of unformed opinion he’s calculating based on the way Yu tilts his beverage in his hands, he slides the cup away nervously, as if he’s somehow afraid Yosuke will decide he doesn't like Yu because of what he’s drinking. It’s a ridiculous thought, and Yu scolds himself for thinking it before he pulls the cup back across the table and into his hands.

 

“Honestly I don’t know a whole lot about coffee, I don’t drink it often.”

 

“Well what do you drink?” Yosuke asks earnestly, and the conversation is so familiar that he almost replies with a direct quote from their texts before he can reel the response back in. Instead his mouth hangs open in a half formed _“o”_ earning a confused glance from Yosuke as he grips his coffee cup with enough force to pop off the lid.

 

“I uh- I like tea? I guess. I mean, lattes aren’t bad. I like the art you can make with the foam.”

 

“Oh yeah, it’s pretty fun to do. Sometimes when were slow we try to see who can make the weirdest things.”

 

“Yosuke is really good at making topsicles!” Teddie interjects, inserting his way back into the conversation before he skips behind the counter and goes to take the order of a busy woman with curly blond hair.

 

“Topsicles?”

 

“Uhh… it’s really just a rectangle. It’s not like topsicles come in a lot of shapes. Ted really likes it though.”

 

“I’d like to see it sometime.” Yu smiles, and Yosuke blushes and chokes on his water, wiping his chin with his wrist as he gives Yu a disbelieving glance.

 

“Dude, it’s like a joke… I mean, really, you can’t make a topsicle in a latte, they’re literally just shaped like rectangles.”

 

“I like topsicles.” Yu says plainly, shrugging and taking a sip of his drink.

 

“You’re kind of weird, you know that?” Yosuke huffs under his breath, a smile pulling up one corner of his mouth. Yu has to stop himself from admiring the sight too much.

 

Yosuke pulls out his phone and unlocks the screen, the sight feeling strange and slightly wrong. It’s like looking at what Yosuke has been for the last few months, a personality wrapped inside a small electronic brick, standing next to the real thing, real Yosuke, who is bright and funny and has a dazzling enough smile to earn all of Yu’s attention and shit he’s staring again.

Yosuke frowns at the phone, glancing at the door and then back to where Yu sits at the bar.

 

“Hey, I’ve actually got to head home, I’ve got to work again in the morning and it’s getting pretty late. We should hangout some time, though.” He says it earnestly, and Yu smiles in response, a completely involuntary reaction that makes him feel warm and drunk of Yosuke’s voice.

 

“Yeah, that’d be good.”

 

“Awesome! I’ll catch you later, Yu!” Yosuke exclaims, his voice filled with honest enthusiasm as he levels Yu a warm smile and winks.

 

Yu watches the gesture raptly, trying to ignore the burning of his cheeks in hopes that it will just go away, wondering how the idea of Yosuke that he has created in his mind can be so completely inadequate in comparison to the real Yosuke, who is offering him one last half handed wave as he ducks out of the coffee shop and disappears outside.


	19. Not a Real Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys today got kind of busy so sorry for the delay!

Yu leaves the coffee shop shortly after Yosuke, walking home in a daze of semi consciousness induced by Yosuke’s crooked grin and shining eyes. He makes it back to his apartment after the ten minute walk, stopping to wander down an alleyway when he hears a muffled mewl and sees a stray cat eating out of a broken open take out box. He squats down and scratches the feline behind the ears, tutting softly at it while his fingers wander down it’s back to scratch around it’s tail. When his phone rings in his pocket the cat scurries away, disappearing behind a couple of trash cans as Yu fishes the phone out of his coat and slides his thumb across the screen to answer the call.

 

“Hey, Partner. Sorry it’s so late. Are you busy?”

 

“Yosuke. No, I’m not busy. What’s up?” Yu steps out of the alley, crossing the street and walking the last block to his apartment while Yosuke talks excitedly in his ear.

 

“I uh… had a performance tonight, kind of. I mean, apparently I had volunteered myself to play a song at the place I work at tonight, which, you know, was a total surprise. But, I actually think it was kind of fun. I don’t really know why I called… I just... Wanted to tell you about it.”

 

Yu smiles into the receiver, thinking about the Yosuke he had met at the coffee shop twenty minutes ago, nervous and excitable, compared to _his_ Yosuke, who is completely open and natural sounding in their conversations.

 

“That’s great, Yosuke. Do you think you’re going to do it again?”

 

“I mean, maybe. I don’t know, I guess I hadn’t really thought about it. It’d be kinda cool if you could be there next time, huh?”

 

“Uh- yeah. I’d like that too.” Yu stutters.

He wavers for a moment, debating whether or not to admit that he had, in fact, been there. But Yu decides that over the phone is probably just as poor of a way to confess as in the middle of a crowded coffee house was.

 

“I ended up playing a song I’ve been working on for a few weeks now… It was uh.. About you. Sort of. Sorry, that’s kinda lame, huh?” Yosuke stammers, and Yu has heard that voice enough tonight to know he’s probably blushing on the other line. In fact, thinking back to the song Yu had listened to, it almost makes him feel warm too. He unlocks the door to his apartment, swinging it outward and stepping into the darkness of his own unit. Without the warm yellow lights of the coffee shop, and Yosuke’s bright eyes watching him as they talk, the space suddenly seems too empty, cold and quiet and too much like his parent’s house back in Tokyo.

The line has gone quiet on Yosuke’s end, he must be waiting for Yu to respond.

 

“Can you keep talking?” Yu murmurs, a whisper that is swallowed by the vacancy of the empty apartment the moment it falls from his lips.

 

“Huh?” Yosuke hums, his voice a mix of confusion and concern when he hears the wavering rasp in Yu’s request.

 

“It’s uh… I’m home alone right now, it’s just… quiet. I guess I’ve been so busy lately that I forgot how quiet it can seem here.”

 

“Oh- uh.. Sure. What do you want me to talk about?”

 

“Anything. Tell me about your day, read me your grocery list, just keep talking.” Yu mutters, his voice muffled as he pulls his sweater and dress shirt over his head and slips on a grey long sleeve shirt to sleep in.

 

He slips on a pair of sweats and curls into the blankets on his futon, pressing the speakerphone button on his screen as he sets it down, speaker up, on the pillow next to his head. Yu sighs into the blankets, listening to the white noise of the speakers while he waits for Yosuke to pick a topic.

 

“Uh.. Okay, I wore your scarf tonight. Like, I know it sounds dumb, but I kind of wanted you to be there the first time I sang that song, and I figured that if I wore something of yours it’d kinda be like you being there.”

 

Yosuke prattles on, voice soft and gentle as it fills the space next to Yu’s ear. He closes his eyes, trying to imagine that, past the static and interference of the phone, Yosuke is there lying next to him, his messy caramel hair pressed against the pillow as he watches Yu’s expressions while he talks. It’s easier to imagine, now that Yu knows what Yosuke looks like, and he lets the scene play on repeat in his head until Yosuke’s familiar voice turns into a warm hum in his ears, a wordless song that pushes him into sleep.

 

Yu wakes up in the middle of the night when he kicks the covers off of one leg. He blinks blearily into the darkness around him, vision hazy from sleep, and he sees the light blue glow of his phone screen pressed into the pillow next to his head. He rolls over and turns the phone towards his face, hissing as the light hits his face and leaves a dozen tiny circles floating about his vision.

 

_Call Accepted_

_Yosuke_

_11:23pm (4:41:03…:04….:05)_

 

He watches the seconds count up on his phone, chuckling sleepily when he realizes Yosuke must have fallen asleep on the phone, of course, Yu was the first to fall asleep, so maybe Yosuke had just decided not to hang up. Yu had said that his apartment felt too empty, lonely, maybe this is Yosuke’s way of ensuring that even if Yu wakes up, he’ll still feel like his partner is here beside him.

He must’ve fell asleep with the phone close to his mouth, because Yu can hear his slow, steady breaths, crackle on the other line. He smiles sleepily at the thought, shifting his leg back into the blankets and flipping the phone over again, letting the fabric of the pillow absorb all the light. He shuts his eyes and eventually falls back asleep, the phone still counting up the minutes next to him.

 

When Yu wakes up in the morning the first thing he notices is that he has somehow rolled over his phone in the middle of the night. This is the first thing, because what wakes him up is the sharp press of something small and rectangular, digging into his ribs. He rolls over groggily, fumbling for the phone until he unwedges it from underneath him, pulling the covers over his eyes and going back to sleep. Half an hour later his alarm goes off, and Yu jerks the blankets off his face and blinks slowly at the ceiling, the light bright and invasive as it beats through the windows and casts yellow slits across the ceiling. He fishes his phone out of the sheets and looks at the screen, seeing that Yosuke’s phone call only lasted another forty minutes after he had woken up last night, and assuming that he had ended the call when he rolled over, or something. Nevertheless, Yu sits up in his futon and stretches his arms above his head, humming sleepily when he feels the resounding pops that roll up the muscles of his back.

He’s up and cooking breakfast within the next ten minutes, settling for some rice, eggs, and a piece of toast, as he sits at the counter. He doesn’t have work, or any classes, today, and while Yu had initially planned to spend the day studying, his thumb has somehow scrolled to the picture of Yosuke’s collarbone, eyes tracing over the same grey and orange headphones, and lightly freckled neck, that he had seen in person last night. He knows Yosuke is working today. He usually picks up a shift on Saturday, and he had said as much last night. Since Yu has already met Yosuke, he decides to walk down to the coffee shop after he eats and cleans up, nervous excitement rolling in his gut.

Yu makes quick work of scarfing down his breakfast and hastily washing the dishes after he’s decided his plans for the day, taking a quick shower and fishing out a white polo from his dresser before he grabs his coat of the rack next to the door and steps into crisp morning air outside. The snow last night hadn’t stuck impressively well, and while the sidewalks are still peppered with a light dusting of white, it seems as if nothing else was really affected. He makes it to Yosuke’s work just as the morning rush is beginning to settle, his entrance announced by the ringing of a bell as he sees a head of messy brown hair turn around at the counter.

Yosuke opens his mouth as if he is about to repeat his usual greeting, spotting Yu standing by the door as his mouth closes and then opens again, his hesitation replaced by a broad and genuine smile.

 

“Hey, Yu, good to see you again! What’re you doing here?” Yosuke grins cheerily, wiping his hands on the green apron tied around his neck and waist.

 

“You said you were working this morning so I thought I’d stop by and say hey, see if you wanted to do something when you’re off?”

 

Yosuke blinks rapidly for a moment, pausing as he looks Yu up and down and nods along slowly, it hadn’t occurred to Yu that maybe the guy he just met last night showing up where he works the next morning and asking to do something might be just a little bit unusual. Yosuke takes it in stride, leaning on the counter and rubbing the back of his neck as he responds.

 

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m not off for a few more hours though. My shift ends at three, if you’re still free then?”

 

“Three is fine, I’ll probably just grab a drink and do some studying over there-” Yu gestures at an empty table in the corner, “Until then.”

 

“Yeah, no problem. What can I get you to drink?” Yosuke responds with a wink, the same charming gesture from last night making Yu struggle to keep the warmth from showing on his cheeks.

 

“I’d love to see you make a topsicle in a latte.” Yosuke shakes his head disbelievingly and smiles, muttering something about Yu being weird before he steps over to one of the complicated drink machines that sit on the counter behind the bar.

 

Yu walks over to the empty table and sits down, pulling off his coat and setting it on the seat as he pulls his laptop from his bag and sorts through the tabs on his computer, minimizing the dozens of cat blogs and videos until the only remaining windows are three containing notes and documents for his law classes. Yosuke returns five minutes later with a latte, the lid held separately in his free hand as he slides it across the table to Yu. Yu looks up from his laptop and towards the drink in front of him, seeing a neatly swirled rectangle with a small line trailing off the bottom like a stick.

 

“You’re right. It just looks like a rectangle.” Yu says plainly, tilting the cup and trying to look at it from different angles.

 

“I told you so. I don’t know why you had me make that. I could’ve done like a flower, or a music note, or something.”

 

“Or a cat?” Yu supplies helpfully, and Yosuke’s eyes widen with confusion at the same moment Yu realises his mistake. He tries to play it off as a normal conversation, clumsily reaching for his drink and taking a sip, before he realizes his second mistake is drinking straight from a fresh, hot, beverage, and burning his tongue. He winces and jerks the cup backward, sloshing more frothy liquid onto his hands and then dropping the cup entirely. It lands with a wet smack on the table, miraculously still right side up, and only half of the drink spilling onto the table from the force of impact, a necessary casualty, Yu thinks.

 

“Shit man, are you okay?” Yosuke blurts out, reaching into his apron and pulling out a stained white rag before pressing it to Yu’s hand.

The fabric is cool and slightly damp, Yu assumes he uses it to wipe the counters or something, but doesn’t really mind since the chill feels good on his burnt hand. After Yosuke has decided Yu’s hand is clean enough he wiped the rag across the table, cleaning up the mess and holding the freshly stained linen by his side.

 

“I’m fine, sorry about that, and thanks.” Yu answers, nodding at the dry and slightly pink skin of wrist and then to the cloth hanging at Yosuke’s side.

 

“It’s no problem, honestly it’s probably my fault. I guess your question kind of startled me and I jumped and it surprised you and-” Yosuke stares dumbly at Yu’s burnt hand, stammering another apology before mumbling something about getting back to work and retreating behind the counter.

He spends the rest of Yosuke’s shift trying to focus on his exam notes, even if his skin prickles whenever his wrist brushes across the keyboard, and every so often he can feel the skin on his neck rise as he catches two brown eyes watching him curiously from behind the counter. Yu decides that until he finds the right moment to confess to Yosuke, he needs to be more careful. The only thing worse than telling him at the wrong time, would be Yosuke finding out on his own and thinking Yu is some kind of creep for having found him in real life and not said anything.

 

At 2:56pm Yosuke slides into the seat across from Yu, successfully startling the silver haired boy out of his homework induced haze, and sliding an ice water across the table until the chilled cup brushes Yu’s knuckles.

 

“Dude you’ve been typing non stop for like two hours. I figured I’d bring you a drink.”

 

Yu nods in thanks and closes the computer, taking a long drink and letting out an appreciative breath as Yosuke turns his head to stare out the window.

 

“So, my shift is over, what do you want to do?” He glances back at Yu, hands reaching to his waist to untie the apron, where it has been wrapped twice around his skinny torso and tied below his belly button.

 

“We could catch a movie? Grab a bite to eat?” Yu suggests slowly, setting his notes and computer into the bag by his seat.

 

“Yeah, that sounds good. There’s some really great beef bowls downtown.”

 

Yosuke pushes his seat back, telling Yu to wait a second before he jogs behind the counter and disappears behind a swinging door. He returns a moment later with a messenger bag replacing his apron, the grey and orange headphone resting around his neck, and his hand pressing any wrinkles out of the v-neck shirt that hangs off his shoulders. The boys exit the coffee shop and begin their walk downtown, Yosuke doing most of the talking, with an excitable voice and hand gestures, as Yu walks next to him and enjoys the sight.

 

They eat at a small restaurant tucked in between some business buildings, both boys squeezing into a small table next to the window and ordering two beef bowls that arrive five minutes later. They talk while they eat, Yosuke laughing and occasionally adjusting the orange framed glasses on his nose as conversation flows easily between them.

It starts snowing again halfway between the meal, and Yosuke complains about having forgot his jacket at work. Yu stops himself before he can offer the brunnette his, remembering with a sinking feeling that he is Yu Narukami, and not Partner. He talks a little less after that comment, mainly listening to Yosuke as he talks about music and school and everything they’ve discussed over the phone before but now it’s better because he’s right _here._

Yu insists on paying for the meal since he was the one that suggested they hang out, and both boys race across the street to the theater as the snow picks up and turns into a sleet that seeps through their clothes, even with the protection of Yu’s jacket. Yu pays for the tickets, but Yosuke pays for an ungodly amount of popcorn and chocolate and soda, Yu watching with mixed fascination and horror as Yosuke dumps the chocolate into the popcorn and eats half the container in the first five minutes of previews. Yu is still stuffed from dinner.

They decide to watch a Dumminator movie, mostly because the theater is showing a marathon of the last three, and Yosuke is apparently a big fan, even though the film ends up having far too many explosions and cheesy one liners for Yu’s taste. Yosuke takes out his phone and sends a few texts during the movies slower parts, and Yu is suddenly glad he had turned off his phone before they went to dinner, worried that Yosuke might text him and Yu’s phone would go off simultaneously. By the time the movie is over it’s gotten dark, the air taking on an additional chill that makes Yosuke’s teeth click when he tries to talk. They end up walking back to the coffee shop so Yosuke can grab his coat, and both boys part ways after that, Yosuke suggesting they hang out again soon with a chattering smile and pink nose.

 

“H-hey d-d-dude, what’s your n-number?” Yosuke stammers in the cold, and Yu feels the temperature drop another ten degrees as a ball of ice settles in his throat.

 

“Oh- uh.. My phones actually dead right now,” Yu pulls his phone out of his pocket and waves the dark screen between them, “But if you want to hang out again I can come by next time you work?”

 

The diversion feels bitter and wrong coming out of his mouth, but something inside him is lifted from his chest when Yosuke stares at the blank screen and nods in understanding.

 

“Oh y-yeah. Th-that works. You free on M-Monday?”

 

“I get off work at seven. Don’t you have school or anything?”

 

“Nah, I ch-ch-changed my major, S-so missing a day of b-b-business won’t hurt.”

 

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you here, but you should probably head home before you get sick.”

 

Yosuke nods shakily and smiles, pulling his jacket tighter over his ice soaked clothing before he tucks his chin down and takes of jogging down the street, Yu watches him go, happiness warring with worry as he realizes he’ll have to tell Yosuke who he is sooner or later. Unfortunately, after today he worries that he’ll have to make the confession at just the right time, they’ve hung out one on one now, and Yu is afraid that anyway he tries to word it will just come off creepy or invasive at this point. He doesn’t want Yosuke to think he gets some kind of enjoyment out of keeping this a secret.

He powers up his phone with numb fingers as he walks the remaining blocks home, watching his phone boot up, and suddenly even more grateful he had decided to turn it off, when he sees he has five new texts from Yosuke.

 

_Yosuke_

_2:42pm_

_hey partner, sry i forgot to hang up last nite. gues i fell asleep too. Jiraya._

 

_2:45pm_

_it was kinda nice tho. liek u were there with me Jiraya._

 

_6:23pm_

_hav u evr seen the dumminator movies? i dnt think theyd b ur thing tho. Jiraya._

 

_8:34pm_

_still waitin for u to cook for me btw. Jiraya._

 

_10:16pm_

_maybe u could leav a jacket for me at aiyas nxt time. apparently i forgot that too. Jiraya._

  
Yu smiles at the texts, but the gesture feels wrong and bitter when he thinks about the last few hours. He begins to type out a response but then deletes it, deciding it can wait until later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END WHAT A RIDE. 
> 
> As always a huge thank you to all the people leaving feedback. You are all so amazing and lovely and I will have more up soon okay?
> 
> Seeing as how were so close to the end of this story, I wanted to get the opinions of those following of how you guys would feel about me making this a series when this is over? Nothing plot heavy or long, but just adding a few occasional oneshot fics about these two before, during, and after this fic. I would take prompts and requests through my tumblr, and just add them on as small stories attached to this universe. It would probably be heavily dependant on any story requests and prompts I get from you guys through tumblr, which is why I wanted to get everyones opinion first! You guys let me know what you think!


	20. Text Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey and sorry about the delay! I'm trying to iron out the last few chapters of this story, so I'm putting up a text chapter for now!

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_2:12pm_

_White miso_

_Konbu seaweed_

_Rice vinegar_

_Pork_

_Cabbage_

_Rice (white, medium grain)_

_Tonkatsu sauce (Might make from scratch)_

_Udon_

_Mirin_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_2:15pm_

_Uhh partner? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_2:21pm_

_Sorry._

 

_2:25pm_

_I forgot to write down a grocery list. I meant to send that to myself._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_2:30pm_

_Oh. Jiraya._

 

_2:31pm_

_Its cool. Jiraya._

 

_2:35pm_

_Watre u making? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_2:36pm_

_A couple things. I just needed to restock on a few things for this week._

 

_2:40pm_

_I’ve got to go, I’ll call you later._

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:23am_

_What’s that one song that goes, “_ _Can I take you to a moment where the fields are painted gold. And the trees are filled with memories of the feelings never told?”?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:30am_

_Wat? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:31am_

_the whole world it is sleeping, but my world is you_

 

_12:32am_

_That song._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:35am_

_Dude. Do you knw wat time it is? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:35am_

_Did I wake you up?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:36am_

_No. im working. But y on earth are u asking me that at liek 1 in the morning. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:37am_

_Yosuke, it’s not even close to one yet. And I was just wondering if you knew the name to that song?_

 

_12:37am_

_You ask me questions about your exams all the time._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:38am_

_The name is bloom. Y? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:40am_

_It was playing in a store today. I remember awhile back you texted me and told me it was stuck in your head, but I forgot the name._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:41am_

_So you texted me to ask? Jiraya_

 

_At 1am. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:42am_

_12:23. And I can’t sleep._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:43am_

_Yeah well now u knw. So go to bed. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:45am_

_You fill my lungs with sweetness, and you fill my head with you_

 

_12:46am_

_I like it._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:46am_

_And here i was beginning to think getting u to listen to decent music was a lost cause. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:47am_

_I just never had time to listen to any music._

 

_12:48am_

_My little cousin used to sing that Junes jingle a lot._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:50am_

_Pls dnt. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:50am_

_Everydays great_

 

_12:50am_

_At your junes_

 

_1:00am_

_Yosuke._

 

_1:05am_

_It’s 1am now, are you still at work?_

 

_1:21am_

_Goodnight Yosuke._

 

____________

 

_Missed Call_

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_2:42pm_

 

_2:45pm_

_Sry. pocket dial. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_6:33pm_

_Yosuke._

 

_6:33pm_

_I think I did a bad thing._

 

_6:34pm_

_image.att._

_(A picture of the same grey cat from a month ago, now it is asleep on a grey couch, one pale, slim hand reaching into the frame and scratching it’s ear.)_

 

_6:35pm_

_I took the cat._

 

_6:35pm_

_It’s really cold out tonight and I didn’t want to leave it outside alone._

 

_6:36pm_

_I don’t think I can give it back now._

 

_6:37pm_

_I need you to tell me I can’t keep it._

 

_6:40pm_

_image.att._

_(the grey cat is curled up in a pile of blankets, it’s eyes are half lidded and it’s nose is tucked into the sheets.)_

 

_6:41pm_

_I’m naming him Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_11:32am_

_Sry partner, my phone died yesterday. Jiraya._

 

_11:33am_

_You didnt keep the cat. Jiraya._

 

_11:34am_

_Rite? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:36pm_

_Sorry Yosuke, I just got your text._

 

_1:37pm_

_Image.att._

_(the grey and white cat sitting in a kitchen sink, it has a smug look on it’s face, it’s spotted eye gleaming mischievously.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:38pm_

_Trying to replace me partner? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:39pm_

_Of course not. You are Yosuke. The cat is Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:39pm_

_U cant just steal my signature. Jiraya._

 

_1:40pm_

_Isn’t there a name on its collar? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:41pm_

_Yes. But it’s Whiskers._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:42pm_

_And? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:43pm_

_He doesn’t look like a “Whiskers”, Yosuke._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:32pm_

_hey wats the greatest canyon in the solar system? Jiraya._

 

_12:41pm_

_partner pls. Jiraya._

 

_12:55pm_

_omg Im dying. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_12:57pm_

_Valles Marineris_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_12:58pm_

_Took u long enuf. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_1:00pm_

_Sorry, sometimes I forget that helping you cheat is supposed to be my number one priority._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_1:01pm_

_do i detect a hint of bitterness? Jiraya._

 

_1:04pm_

_ill make it up to u partner. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_3:42pm_

_Go to aiyas. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_4:01pm_

_What’s this?_

 

_Image.mms_

_(A foam coffee cup with the lid popped off, a neatly swirled foam cat has been carefully traced into the froth. Next to the coffee a cd and a piece of paper that says, “Partner”.)_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_4:05pm_

_I told you id make it up to u. Jiraya._

 

_4:06pm_

_i tried to get Aiya to let me make the coffee myself but she said no. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Xxx-xxx-4431_

_4:07pm_

_What’s on the cd?_

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_4:08pm_

_U said u liked that song, so i picked out a few others u might like and put them on a cd. Jiraya._

 

_4:09pm_

_i started thinkin about it when u called and said ur place felt lonely. Jiraya._

 

_4:11pm_

_i just didnt kno wat to put on it. Jiraya._

 

_4:20pm_

_U dnt hav to listen to it if u dnt like it. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_4:26pm_

_No it’s_

 

_4:26pm_

_Really nice._

 

_4:27pm_

_Thank you Yosuke. This means a lot to me._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-1852_

_4:30pm_

_it wasnt a big deal. Jiraya._

 

_4:42pm_

_I wrote down the rest of my exam questions on the back of that paper. You can just fill it out and leave it at the table. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_4:43pm_

_You’re an ass._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys sorry for those of you that read that past night and caught all my spelling errors! I missed a day on meds and it really fucked me up so I was trying to update through a killer migraine. I probably should have just waited, but I didn't want to go two days without an update seeing as I didn't tell anyone the uodates would pause.
> 
>  
> 
> That being said, I'll be out of town for the weekend so no new updates until Monday. (Monday?) Honestly I'm thinking the next update day I have might be the last day of this story! Because there are only like 3 or so more chapters and I plan on finishing them all in one sitting. 
> 
> I hope this little thing was enough to sate you guys for now! Thanks soooo much for all of the wonderful responses as usual and have a great weekend!


	21. "It's Getting Late"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY HERE *SHOVES UPDATE FORWARD RESTLESSLY*

Monday arrives too quickly, and Yu finds himself standing in front of Yosuke’s door, his gloved fist thudding mutely on the scratched up wood. Late fall has begun leaning into winter, casting a chill in the air by midday that hangs on the breeze until evening. Yu exhales slowly, watching his breath condense into an icy cloud that gathers at eye level. He sucks the air back in, puffing out his cheeks as he blows it back out between his teeth. He watches the breathy fog grow with silver eyes, raising his fist to knock again when he hears a succession of mumbled thumps and curses before the door swings inward and Yosuke’s face appears in the mist of warm breath. It fogs his glasses, and the air dissipates as Yosuke flashes Yu a broad grin and ushers him inside.

 

“Hey, Yu, how’re you doing? Sorry about the wait, I was in the shower.” Yu glances at Yosuke’s hair, just now noticing the few thick and dark, wet strands that stick to his jaw and neck. His eyes follow a drop of water that is trailing down the back of Yosuke’s neck, disappearing where the collar of his snug band shirt stretches over his narrow shoulder. He lets his eyes slide the rest of the way down, still chasing the now, invisible, rivulet as his eyes flick to Yosuke’s narrow hips, and the sweatpants that hang off his waist.

 

“It’s not a problem. I got here a little early, I think.” Yu mutters distractedly, walking into the kitchen, the aching of his stomach jerking him from his own thoughts and reminding him that he hasn’t eaten since breakfast, “Have you eaten?”

 

“Oh- uh. Not yet. I kind of just figured we could order some take out. I haven’t bought groceries in a while.”

 

“I’m sure you have something to work with-” Yu opens one of Yosuke’s kitchen cupboards, shuts it, and then opens it again when it displays nothing but three completely bare shelves. He moves across the row of cabinets, opening each one and finding nothing but an unopened bottle of soy sauce and ungodly amount of ramen cups, and the fridge is no better, holding nothing but a few warm waters and a can of TaP..

“Yosuke, is this all you have to eat?” Yu holds up a cup of ramen, waving it in his hands as the other boy flushes and stares pointedly at the floor.

 

“Uh- yeah. I don’t really cook much… at all. I was going to try learning once, but Chie was the only person who could teach me and I don’t know if you’ve met her yet but her food is as likely to kill you as it is to- well… it’ll probably just kill you.”

 

“Then it’s decided.” Yu nods sharply, sliding the ramen back onto the shelf and plucking a take out menu off of a magnet clip on Yosuke’s fridge.

 

“What?”

 

“The next time I come over I’m going to cook you dinner.” Yu states plainly, grabbing a discarded pen off the counter and circling a few things on the menu before he pulls out his phone.

 

Yosuke sputters for a moment, eyes blinking owlishly at Yu as he punches the take out number into his phone and reads off his order.

 

“You cook? Look man, you don’t have to do that. I- I mean we don’t know each other super well and I don’t want to like- take advantage of you?”

 

It’s Yu’s turn to stare, his eyes blinking slowly as he thanks the woman on the phone and hangs up, momentarily forgetting that to Yosuke, Yu is just Yu, not partner. He clips the menu back onto the fridge, leaning on the counter and leveling the brunnette a reassuring smile.

 

“If it was a problem I wouldn’t have offered. Besides, I don’t get to cook for other people often.”

 

“That’s amazing! I won’t turn down a good meal. I’ll let you know when I’m free, what’s your number again?”

 

Yu looks at the phone in his hands, screen powered off and turned towards his face innocently. He glances back to Yosuke, who is still waiting for a reply.

 

“Oh- uh… I don’t really receive texts… something about my phone service not working…” Yu pauses as the last mumbled word leaves his mouth, biting the inside of his cheek while he waits for Yosuke to call his bluff. He doesn’t only nodding slowly and changing the topic, something about video games, before he’s disappearing into the living room.

 

Yu follows quietly, trying not to seem to obvious when he does his best to take in the apartment he has imagined from a thousand different pictures and late night conversations. The apartment is small and cheap, which doesn’t surprise him considering Yosuke has mentioned before that he pays for it on his own. The walls are plain and slightly tinted, and Yu isn’t sure if it’s the color of the paint or if they have just faded to that shade from age. The living meets all of Yu’s expectations to a T, long orange shelves lining one wall and cluttered with everything from cd’s to dvd’s to miscellaneous coffee mugs and picture frames occupying any free space in a sort of awkward disarray that manages to look purposeful even though it’s probably not. A messy brown couch is pushed against the opposite wall, some various band posters framed and hanging above it, stray pillows and a blanket thrown askew across the cushions. A small kotatsu sits in the center of the room and slightly to left, and various guitars are propped in the corner next to the only window, framed on the floor by a single pillow that has been crushed down as if recently sat on, and several open notebooks and pens littering the floorboards around it. Yosuke is standing over by the shelves, arms crossed over his chest in like he doesn’t know what to do with them, sort of awkward looking but a distinctly Yosuke-like gesture. He scans over the video games that are stacked tightly on the shelves, letting out a short breath when he spots on and plucks it out of the bunch, pulling two controllers off another shelf that sits next to the small flat screen, and holding one out to Yu invitingly.

The pair share the sofa, Yosuke getting so involved in a racing video game he has them playing that ,more than a few times, he leans too far to the right with his control, shoulder brushing Yu’s chest before he shoots a puff of air between his teeth in concentration and straightens on the couch. About an hour into the game there’s a knock on the door, and Yosuke pauses their race and get off the couch, stretching languidly as he balls his fists and move them slowly over his head. He answers the door and returns a moment later with a large plastic bag that smells of take out, and two soda, settling back onto the couch and pulling the kotatsu up until it doubles as a coffee table.

 

“I only had one of these in the fridge, but the fridge doesn’t work anyways, so they’re both a little warm.” Yosuke offers the can to Yu sheepishly, smiling when Yu chuckles and takes the proffered beverage, popping open the tab and taking a long drink. He winces at the burn of warm carbonation, setting it back on the table and dropping the controller in his lap.

The boys spend the next few minutes eating, a comfortable quiet settling between them and only broken by an occasional joke or easy conversation from Yosuke, who is talking behind a mouth full of food. After the food has diminished into nothing but a few empty take out boxes and a few stray pieces of noodle or beef, Yosuke collapses backwards into the couch cushions with a yawn, one arm settling on his stomach while the other is bent behind his head.

Yu stands up and makes his way to the bathroom, wanting to clean up a little after the take out left him feeling greasy and overly full. He makes his way down the hallway and passed the door on the end, opening beneath his touch with no resistance, only it’s not the bathroom Yu has wondered into. It’s the bedroom. Yosuke’s bedroom.

It’s far less cluttered than the living room, small, and mostly occupied by a messy desk that is pushed against the window, an unmade bed pressed to one wall, and a large dresser that sits parallel to it. There’s a full length mirror hanging on the opposite side of the door, a small closet making up the left wall, and Yu stands halfway in the room, eyes flickering too quickly over his surroundings as if he is trying to commit them to memory. A few pairs of clothes lay scattered around the floor, a pair of light pink boxers peeking out from under a pillow, and Yu’s fingers twitch, his first instinct being to tidy up, but that would definitely be weird and certainly unwanted. So instead he just stands there, which is probably only marginally less weird than cleaning would be, but his legs have stopped responding to any reasonable voice in his head shouting at them to turn around and move, and Yu’s silver eyes are scanning the messy orange bedsheets, pausing and widening when they catch a hint grey tucked beneath one pillow. Now his legs decide to not only ignore his brain, but bypass it’s command entirely, his arms too, as he steps across the threshold and into the room, reaching down and scooping the grey fabric out from the tangle of sheets. He holds the bunched up cotton in his hands awkwardly, mouth popped open as he studies the familiar knitted pattern of his scarf. The scarf he gave Yosuke. That Yosuke sleeps with, apparently.

 

“Uh… the bathroom is that way…” Yosuke’s voice breaks the silence, hesitant and more than a little uncomfortable, and Yu drops the scarf like it’s burnt him, watching it coil onto the bed and spinning around to stare at the space where Yosuke stands in the doorway.

 

“Sorry. I got lost, and you’re living room was really interesting and I’ve never been very good at decorating a space so I thought that-”

 

“Hey man, it’s fine. Although if you’re wanting to get decorating tips you should probably take notes on a less… messy place.” Yosuke chuckles, walking over to his desk and straightening a couple of papers while trying to nonchalantly kick the pair of pink underwear under his desk. Yu sighs in relief, eyes skittering back to the scarf before he can force them to the floor with a scowl of betrayal.

 

“Oh- Yeah, my friend gave me that. I guess it got tossed on the bed this morning while I was looking for clothes.” Yosuke gestures vaguely towards the scarf, not looking up from where he is running his thumb along a stack of papers to even them out, eyes downcast and cheeks slightly pink. His voice betrays his dishonestly, but frankly Yu would prefer to think he sleeps with the scarf anyways.

“You were wearing it the night we met. At the coffee shop.” Yu walks over to the dresser, stepping over a discarded shirt that looks suspiciously like the one Yosuke had worn in the first photo he sent him. He wills his mind not to think about it, having no intention to match Yosuke’s embarrassed state with his own.

 

“Woah, you remember that? Yeah, the song was actually about the person who gave me that, but they couldn’t make it to the show, so I wore their scarf instead.” Yosuke has turned to face Yu fully, mouth quirking up in a fond smile as he speaks. His eyes widen when he realizes his admission, looking mildly horrified as his cheeks flush a deeper pink and he stutters, “I- I mean, if you’ve spoken to Rise or whatever they’ve probably already told you about all of that. They like to get involved in my business. They even made some damn name for their investigation or whatever. Sorry.. That’s not important. I- uh.. You’re just easy to talk to. And for some reason I’m having a hard time shutting my mouth around you- er.. Well, more than usual. Chie usually has me work in the back because I tend to put my foot in my mouth around the customers- figuratively… of course it’s figurative… I-”

 

Yosuke cuts himself off with a nauseated look, face having turned such a flushed shade that Yu is beginning to worry it’s caused from lack of oxygen rather than embarrassment. Yu decides to cut in, feeling sorry for the boy even as the emotion wrestles with endearment. He laughs lightly, Yosuke’s eyes jerking up to his own before he lets out a sigh and a depreciating chuckle himself.

 

“Uh.. the bathroom’s the only other door in the hallway. I’m going to go clean up the empty boxes from dinner.” He says in a slightly less paralyzed tone, making his way past Yu and into the hallway and flinching when their shoulders bump. Right. Bathroom.

Yu stands in front of the mirror and splashes cold water on his face, flinching when he pulls a hand towel off the rack and puts it to his face and realizes it smells like Yosuke’s shampoo. He spends an additional five minutes splashing water on his face, again, this time drying off his cheeks with the bottom edge of his shirt, and walking back into the living room.

Yosuke is sitting on the couch again, a controller in his hands and a single player campaign playing on mute, Yu settles in next to him, grabbing one of the bottled waters Yosuke left on the table for them and reclining into the cushion. The next words leave his mouth before he can stop them.

 

“You must like them a lot.”

 

Yosuke’s hand jerks on the joystick, wrecking his race car and startling him enough that he has to pause the game and set the controller in his lap before he can respond, staring piteously at his legs.

 

“Uh.. yeah. We’re pretty close. I don’t really talk about it with anyone. My friends weren’t so keen on the whole thing at first, so I try to keep it to myself.”

 

“Why not?” Yu adjusts on the couch, turning himself until his legs are crossed on the cushion between them and he’s leaning on the armrest behind him.

 

“Well, I haven’t actually _met_ them. Chie had given me Yukiko’s number so that I could text her and set up some study sessions, and I texted the wrong number, instead.”

 

“Interesting. I don’t really see anything wrong with it though. I mean, people meet online all the time, this doesn’t seem much different.”

 

“Wha- Dude, are you serious?” Yosuke seems surprised, maybe a little confused, and Yu takes it in stride, shrugging his shoulders noncommittally to urge him to continue, “I mean, even I thought it was a little weird at first. I mean, usually when you meet someone online it’s because you were actually _looking_ to meet someone. We didn’t- _I_ never wanted that.”

 

“So would you take it back?” Yu asks without thought, his voice sounding more dejected than he’d have liked.

 

“What? I mean- _no._ It’s not like that it’s just… it’s kind of personal. I mean…” Yosuke glares at his lap and furrows his brow in thought, mind now far away from where the two of them sit on the couch.

Yu’s phone buzzes in his pocket, and he pulls it out long enough to see a text from Rise that he ignores, and to check the time. It’s already 11:32 at night.

 

“It’s getting late.” Yu speaks slowly, his voice quiet and unsure as he shifts to get off the couch.

 

Yosuke pulls his own phone out and looks at the time, sighing heavily before he sits up and sets the controller aside.

 

“Yeah, I hadn’t noticed. I’ve got to work in the morning.”

 

“We can hang out again soon? I still have to cook for you.” Yu smiles, and Yosuke glances up to him and smiles warmly, standing up and offering Yu a hand.

 

“Yeah. I’d like that. It sucks that tonight went by so quickly.”

 

Yu accepts the hand and lets himself be pulled to his feet, trying not to overthink the disappointment in Yosuke’s voice when Yu mentions leaving, he lets himself out and winces at the sudden bite of the cold, thinking that the temperature must have dropped several degrees in the last few hours. He rubs at his arms and begins the walk home, the phone in his pocket doesn’t ring once, doing nothing to warm the chill in his lungs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things came up this weekend that needed my immediate attention, and this chapter has gotten like 492742374932579 revisions so things have just been slow. Anyways, I'm am hoping to MAYBE? finish this today. Seeing as we only have maybe 3 chapters left? And I have holed myself away in a coffee shop with a drink and sweets and I am ready to do this!
> 
> A MASSIVE THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE.  
> You guys have been so perfect and I am beyond words. Thanks to everyone who left feedback on the possibility of this being a series, more on that later! For now, enjoy and I'll have more up soon!


	22. Tell the Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just uh.... just going to leave this... here.

The remainder of Yu’s week is spent going through his daily routines in a sort of mechanized haze. He exchanges a few texts with Yosuke throughout the next few days, significantly less than usual, but Yu knows that the frequency of their conversations is within direct correlation to the guilty churning of his stomach everytime he opens a text and sees, “hy partnr” messily spelt out in Yosuke’s shorthand.  He still hasn’t told Yosuke that he is partner, now too nervous that the confession will come off as personal or creepy considering that the two have now hung out in person several times and Yosuke is still in the dark. But Yu isn’t even sure how he’d address it, even though he knows that the truth is going to come out eventually, whether it be Yu accidentally giving himself away, or Yosuke finally cementing their plan to meet in person, and now the former excitement that fluttered in his stomach at the thought has been replaced only by a sour churning of fear.

Rise hasn’t made any particular move to steer the pair in any direction since her original scheme to get them both in the same place had worked, now just sitting on the sidelines and casting Yu amused glances every time she insists they get coffee where Yosuke works, instead of Aiya’s. Which is exactly what she’s done today.

 

“So, why haven't you told him?” Rise asks curiously, settling into the seat across from him and casting a quick glance towards where Yosuke is obliviously wiping down a counter, across the coffee shop from them.

 

“It’s not that simple. What if I tell him and he gets mad that I didn’t mention it sooner. I’ve known him for two weeks now.” Yu mutters miserably into his coffee, his body hasn’t handled his indecision well at all. Yu is usually well rested, well groomed, and in complete control of his appearance and actions. But he’s hardly slept the past few days, leaving his eyelids dark and sagging above his cheeks, his hair is slightly disheveled, and for the first time in his life he’s wearing the same shirt two days in a row.

 

“Okay, but waiting even longer is just going to make that happening even more likely. I mean, you can’t just drop all contact with him and act like none of this ever happened. Would you even want to-”

 

 _“No.”_ Yu snaps, his voice cracking with exhaustion and loud enough to make Yosuke and Teddie glance over from behind the counter. He flushes slightly, reaching for his coffee and taking a shaky drink before folding his hands on the table and shaking his head, slowly, he makes it a sharply controlled motion, tight and tense and conveying all of his stress. “No. That’s- that’s not an option. I would never want to- I don’t want to lose him. I just need to find the right time to tell him.”

 

“Yu, the right time was the night you met. The longer you wait now, the more suspicious it’s going to seem when you actually tell him.”

  
“Suspicious?”

 

“Well, yeah. I mean, what if he thinks that you met him in person and just decided you didn’t like him, and that’s why you didn’t want to tell him the truth. Or he could just think you were messing with him.”

 

“That’s not true, though.” Yu bumps his head on his arms dejectedly, as if trying to convince Rise she’s wrong will somehow make that outcome less likely.”

 

“Of course it isn’t but you of all people should know insecure and jumpy he can get.”

 

“ _Yosuke_ isn’t-”

 

“I’m not what?”

Yu jumps in his seat, startled by Yosuke’s sudden appearance beside him, an iced green tea in one hand, while the other rests on his hip.

Yu jerks his head up from his hands, meeting Yosuke’s inquisitive glance and easy half grin with a nervous smile of his own. He stumbles for a reply, something to carpet their _actual_ conversation and save Yu from having to confess. He gives Rise a pleading look behind his coffee, eyes widening in growing panic as a series of unintelligible half answers get caught in his throat, before she rolls her eyes and concedes.

 

“I suggested that you and Narukami do something when you’re off work today. Y’know, I’m still trying to get him to get our there a little, see the city. He said you aren’t free though, Yosuke, are you busy after work?”

 

 _Not what I meant. Not what I meant._ He shoots Rise a betrayed glare, panic rising in his throat as she smiles coyly from her drink.

 

“Oh- uh… yeah, I’m free. You still want to do something, Yu?” Yosuke fishes for the straw of his drink, taking a long slurp that makes the ice rattle in the bottom of the cup.

 

Yu glances at his hands uncomfortably, thinking about giving Rise another irritated glance before he decides it’s not worth the risk of Yosuke noticing. Instead he nods mutely, shifting his drink in his hands and trying to make the words form in his mouth.

 

“Yes-yeah. That sounds good. I can _\- uhh-_ cook for you tonight? I know you were saying you wanted me to and-”

 

“ _Man,_ that sounds great! Do you just want to meet me at my place at around five? That’ll give me time to shower after I get off, and- _oh, shit_ , man I can, like, give you some money so you can buy whatever groceries you need. Or-”

 

“Yosuke, it’s okay. I’ll pick up the stuff, don’t worry about it.” Yu gives his best reassuring smile, coaxing a relieved grin from the other boy, as he tries his best not to think about Rise’s foot, which is kicking him under the table, and Rise’s smile, which is being shot across at him smugly.

 

“Sounds good, man. I guess I’ll see you then!” Yosuke walks to the door and deposits his empty plastic cup in the trash, stepping behind the register and saying something loudly, to Teddie, in an irritated voice. Yu sighs into his hand, leaning heavily on one elbow while he tries to ignore the heavy weight of his phone in his pocket.

 

“ _There._ The perfect opportunity to tell him. Make sure you tell me how it goes.” Rise smiles slyly, pushing her seat back and patting Yu’s shoulder before she wiggles her fingers in a wave and disappears out the door of the coffee shop. A tiny bell jingles on the door, announcing her absence.

 

Yu spends another hour in the coffee shop before he can finally get his legs to move, and by that time a light snow has begun to accumulate outside of the window. Yosuke texts him twice, both times Yu ignores it. Eventually he wills himself into motion, pushing back the seat and returning Yosuke’s full body goodbye wave with a small, half hearted, one of his own. He stops at the grocery store a block from where he lives, picking up enough ingredients to make curry from scratch. Normally he might buy a few ingredients pre-made, but he refuses to skimp out on Yosuke’s meal, filling his basket with spices for the roux, and oils, and fresh vegetables. By the time he’s done filling his bags and counting out his yen, his phone reads 4:22pm, and Yu decides to walk over to Yosuke’s a little early so that he has time to sort through the ingredients and do a little prepping for the meal.

He walks up to the landing for Yosuke’s apartment, knocking three times and waiting, before he hears Yosuke’s replies, muffled by the door, followed by the thumping of rapid foot fall, and the rustling of Yosuke jiggling the doorknob. He lets out a muted swear, and the door swings inward with a squeak, Yosuke standing on the other side, brown hair plastered to his neck from water, and a pair of sweats and damp t-shirt hanging off his small frame.

 

“You’re here a bit early.” Yosuke chuckles, lifting a towel to his head and scrubbing at his wet hair.

 

“Yeah, I’m making it from scratch so I figured I’d get here a little early and set everything up.”

 

“Oh, cool! What’re you making?”

 

“I thought I’d make curry, it’s not hard so it shouldn’t take very long.”

 

Yosuke’s eyes flash with excitement, and he grabs Yu by the wrist and drags him to the kitchen, chattering on about how he hopes Yu is as good of a cook as he claims to be.

Yu lays out the ingredients and sets to work, listening to the sounds of Yosuke moving about the living room before he hears the static of a tv and a video game begins playing in the background. He sets his phone on the edge of the counter and turns off the timer on his screen, allowing him to check the time without having to use his hands. He cuts the vegetables and starts cooking the rice, sets the pan for the roux on the stove and lets the familiar, mechanical movements of cooking soothe the edge of his nerves. After about an hour the small apartment begins to fill with the smell of food, drawing Yosuke out of the living room until he’s hovering behind Yu’s shoulder, watching him slice and stir with a hungry look in his eyes, muttering apologies every time her steps too close and Yu bumps him while reaching for a spice.

 

“Man, that smells _incredible._ My mouth is watering. Don’t tell me you’ve been holding out on me, Yu.”

 

“Well, I haven’t really had the opportunity to cook for you until now, so it’s not like I was keeping it a secret.” Yu chuckles, stirring the roux and glancing over his shoulder at Yosuke’s wide and excited eyes, the sight bringing a slight smile to his lips.

 

“Less talking. More cooking.” Yosuke laughs lightly, and he hops up on the half of the counter that has already been cleaned and wiped down, thigh brushing where Yu’s phone still sits, screen up.

 

Yu turns to the sink to wash his hands, leaving the curry, almost finished, on the stove top. Yosuke mutters something behind him, but Yu can’t hear it over the running water from the faucet.

 

Yu is washing off one of the large spoons he used to stir the curry when Yosuke speaks up.

 

“Hey, I know you don’t get texts but I’m going to put my number in here anyways, just so that you can, like, call me instead of waiting around at work whenever we’re going to-”

 

_“-wait, no-”_

 

Yu spins around from the faucet, water spraying over his shirt and across the counter as the spoon clatters around in the sink. Yosuke is still sitting on the counter, finger hovering over the phone as he begins punching in numbers, halting abruptly when Yu turns around.

 

“What is…” Yosuke’s eyes flash with something that is too muddled for Yu to see, his mouth popping open and his face turning a pallid sort of shade that makes him look likes he’s about to be sick. Although, Yu is fairly certain that he is far more likely to be sick right now than Yosuke.

 

“I’m… already in your contacts?” Yosuke mutters half to himself, thumb swiping over the contact as he goes to the message history and Yu feels himself die inside ten times over.

A chill creeps into the room, sharp enough to convince Yu that Yosuke opened the window and let the snow in, if he didn’t already know that he’s the only one who feels it, probably. His pulse beats rapidly in his ears, his lungs icy and frozen, and aching as the breath stalls in his lungs. His eyes jerk uncomfortably, as if they’re trying to adjust to the lighting in the room, and instead they focus on Yosuke’s face, a pinpoint of emotion so accute and all over the place at the same time. His fingers are still scrolling down the screen, rapidly now, panicked, and he has yet to say anything else as Yu stands frozen in the middle of the kitchen. Finally, he speaks, but his voice is high and panicked and afraid and everything that Yu has never wanted to hear twisted into Yosuke’s light and friendly voice.

 

“ _You’re-_ I… _is this-_? This can’t be real…” The words are whispered, cracked and wavering in pitch as Yosuke’s hand trembles around the phone.

 

 _“You’re-”_  He finally glances to Yu, which is a mistake, for both parties. His eyes are blown wide and nervous, flickering over Yu’s features with enough speed to make Yu worried he might have a seizure. Is that possible? Regardless, he needs to get Yosuke to calm down.

 

“Yosuke… Let me explain.” He means to sound strong and reassuring, but instead the words are a croak, a barely audible cough that gets hung up in his throat and makes the dread settle like a stone in his gut. Yosuke flinches when he speaks, clamoring off the counter and stumbling into the wall as his posture screams tension and fear. He presses himself as far from Yu as the small kitchen will allow, hand shaking violently and holding the phone away from his body, as if it has done him some personal affront.

 

“You… Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I was going to! I just… I didn’t know when.. And-”

 

“We’ve hung out like ten times! You- you came to my _work_ \- my _apartment_ \- I-” The panic has shifted into anger, hurt, confusion, fear. It flashes in his eyes, and Yu’s gaze jerks away, burnt by Yosuke’s stare. He can see the brunette glance at the door, then back at Yu, then back at the door, fear taking prominent place above anything else, his pupils wide and panicked as if he’s debating fleeing his own house, _“Why didn’t you tell me?”_

 

“Yosuke- I… I’m sorry-”

 

“I think you need to leave.” His voice comes out in a rasp. A quiet whisper that hangs between them and stops the breath cold in Yu’s throat.

 

His mind tells him to protest. To insist they sit down and talk things out, and Yu can explain everything because Yosuke will understand, and things will be okay, if he just has a chance to explain. But the thoughts are heavy and make his head spin with dizziness, and instead of speaking Yu steps forward and grabs his phone, Yosuke visibly recoiling when their fingers brush, his shoulders straight rods of tension that cause Yu’s movement to tense as result. He tucks his head down and walks to the door, Yosuke remaining frozen against the wall and making no move to follow. He fumbles with the doorknob before he makes a noise of panic and it swings open with a rush of freezing air, stepping out of the apartment and letting the frigid breeze cool the burning of his eyes. He blinks away the blurriness in his vision, hands balled into fists as he forces his shaking legs to carry him home.

  
When Yu leaves Yosuke lets himself slide onto the kitchen floor, knees tucked into his chest, and arms hiding his face as he tries to steady his breathing. Instead he only forces out a ragged gasp, panic suffocating him until his head spins and his vision blurs. The gasps turn into sobs, and Yosuke stays curled upon the floor, his own phone sitting heavily in his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was very hard to write, and honestly I still feel like I didn't convey all the emotions and general feels as much as I wanted. But I've reread it like 20 times so I'm just going to post it anyways. 
> 
> There's only 2 more chapters guys! So close! Thanks for sticking around giving me support and comfort and feels and everything. As always please leave lots of responses and I hope you all enjoyed!


	23. Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone still following along and leaving support! Only one more chapter!

By the time Yu steps into his own apartment it’s already dark outside. His stomach growls irritably, a miserable reminder that he still hasn’t eaten anything. His thoughts begin to reel back into what had happened at Yosuke’s apartment, and Yu promptly shuts the memories down as he swallows the aching of his stomach, he feels too sick to eat. He feels the weight of his phone in his pocket, it hasn’t rang or made any indication of a text or phone call since- well, it doesn’t surprise him, and he _could_ try to contact Yosuke, to explain, but honestly he wouldn’t be surprised if Yosuke never wants to see him again, part of him too afraid to call the phone number and find out Yosuke has blocked him or changed the number. No. Instead, he leaves the phone on the counter, walking to the bathroom and turning on the hot water in his shower, standing in the steam until it mixes with the aching of his chest, making it hard to breathe through the tightness of his lungs. He lets the scalding water hit his shoulders and neck, hot enough to leave his skin burnt and prickling, any sensation serving as a distraction from the sickness in his gut. When his body adjusts to the temperature he cuts off the hot water entirely and stands in the cold, until his whole body is shivering with tremors from the cold, his teeth rattling in his mouth. After that, he makes it hot again, and then cold, repeating the process for what seems like hours, until his hot water runs out and he is left shaking and alone in the empty bathroom.

He begins to dry himself off when the pain returns, sharp and aching and serving as an intense reminder of the last few hours of his day. The towel pauses on his head, and he lets it fall to his shoulders and himself fall to the ground, sitting with his knees tucked in on the cool tile, water dripping down his nose and chin, eyes screwed shut, and breaths coming out in shaky and uneven bursts. He spends a few minutes leaning over the toilet, retching up nothing even though his stomach is twisting and rolling painfully. He manages to pick himself off the floor and walk into the bedroom, slipping on a pair of wrinkled pajama pants and a baggy shirt.

When he gets back to the kitchen his phone is waiting for him on the counter, he reaches for it and then recoils, pulling a water from the fridge and walking over to the couch instead. He’s never felt so sick in his life, his chest aching, his breath short, and his stomach clenching painfully. He ends up curled up on the couch, his legs tucked in and his cheek resting on the cushion, the water left untouched on the floor as he wills himself into an uneasy sleep.

 

__________

 

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:42am_

_i cant come into wrk today. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Chie_

_8:45am_

_Y not?_

 

____________

 

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_8:45am_

_sick Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Chie_

_9:00am_

_no ur not. I just saw u yesterday._

 

____________

 

_Xxx-xxx-1852_

_9:01am_

_i wasnt sick yesterday. Jiraya._

 

_9:01am_

_i am now. Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_Chie_

_9:03am_

_Nice try Yosuke. When does ur shift start?_

 

_9:06am_

_Just checked the scedule. See u at 10._

 

Yosuke stares numbly at his phone, frowning and running a hand through his dirty hair. He hasn’t slept at all, his breath smells, and his throat feels scraped and itchy everytime he tries to breathe. He crawls out of bed, making it to the floor, where he sits and watches his phone, pointedly staring at the one contact that has sent no calls or texts since last night. His stomach still churns uncomfortably, his eyes burning defiantly when he tries to distract himself from thoughts of the previous night. There are too many emotions in his head for Yosuke to try and pick only one to focus on. He’s tries anger, fear, resentment, betrayal, and every time he is promptly pulled back into the prevailing tightness in his chest, confusion. Confusion as to why Yu would keep this secret from him, confusion as to how Yu had found him, whether or not he maybe met the real Yosuke and decided he didn’t like him, so he kept it a secret. Actions that point toward Yu possibly getting some kind of sick enjoyment from messing with him, a dryness in his throat that makes his lungs ache and tells him his friends were right. So instead all he feels is confusion. Confusion that makes his head ache and his eyes blur and his palms sweat and it _hurts_ , confusion that had prompted Yosuke to delete the contact from his phone the second Yu had left the apartment, confusion as to why the motion hurt so _damn_ much. But he knows why it hurts. He knows why erasing the last six months from his phone made his chest ache the way it did. He knows why, even if he won’t say it.

Instead, Yosuke picks himself up off the floor, walking to the bathroom, and turning on the water,  and standing in a cold shower until he is shivering and even more miserable, because of _course_ his hot water doesn’t work today. He makes a poor attempt at looking somewhat kept, his hair air dryed and flipping out messily, his eyes dull and accentuated by the sleepless bags that ring them. He grabs his work apron off a pile next to his bed, stuffing it into his bag without thought and digging around in his dresser until he finds a shirt that isn’t completely wrinkled. On his way out he stops in the kitchen to grab a soda, hoping the seltzer will help calm his upset stomach. What he find instead is an untouched pot of curry, sitting on the stove’s range where Yu had left it last night. He stares at the dinner for a moment too long before turning around and walking out the door, trying to ignore the twitch of his hands that tells him the sight shouldn’t hurt him as much as it does.

 

“Wow. I take it back. You _do_ look like shit.” Chie makes a disgusted face, watching Yosuke trudge through the door to the coffee shop and drop his bag on the nearest table.

 

“Can you just shut it? For once.” Yosuke grounds out, collapsing on the nearest seat and thumping his head into his hands.

 

Chie only sticks out her tongue and disappears into the back of the store, coming back a moment later before filling a foam cup with hot water and dropping a tea bag into it, sliding it across the table to Yosuke who only looks up momentarily. His shift starts in ten minutes, but the shop is dead right now and Yosuke isn’t entirely sure he could will himself out of his seat even if there was a line that trails out the door. Chie glowers at him until he takes a drink, but the heat burns in his throat and doesn’t settle right on his empty stomach. He reaches for his pocket out of habit, before he remembers that he left his phone at the apartment, and the thought almost gives him some small sort of relief.

At 10:08 a small line of customers forms at the register, and with Chie’s prodding, Yosuke manages to sling his bag over one shoulder and trudge to the back of the store, dropping it next to the “employee lounge” and making his way back to the counter, a poorly forced smile pulling at his lips unconvincingly. He takes orders and counts change with slow, exhausted, motions, his hands slightly shaking as he punches buttons and writes names. Some small part of him had tried to view going to work with even a tiny bit of optimism, as pathetic as the meager attempt had been, he had thought that perhaps the mindless task of working would help to distract him from the aching of his heart. Instead, it has only left him more exhausted, his fingers trembling as he reaches for a bottled water and shakily unscrews the cap. Chie has, blessedly, not said anything to Yosuke since he started his shift, and the only other person working today is Kanji, who is usually never prompted to start a conversation with him anyways. He’s not sure would be able to handle someone asking him about Partner today. He’s not sure he can handle anything today, let alone that.

 

“Hey, lunch rush is over so uhh… why don’t you go ahead and go home early.” Chie drones uncomfortably beside him, appearing next to the register as she toys with her apron.

 

Yosuke glances at the clock, frowning. “I’m not even four hours into my shift.” He says it like he’s trying to argue, but his voice is ragged and tired enough that is doesn’t convince anyone.

 

“Yeah, well, I over staffed today so I’m cutting you early. You should be thanking me, actually. I wasn’t joking when I said you look like shit.”

 

Chie tries to give Yosuke once of her typical snide glares, but he doesn’t miss the concern laced in her playfulness, and it only intensifies the aching in his throat. He stares steadily at her until his eyes burn from not blinking, glancing irritably at his feet before he mutters something not even intelligible to himself, and walks over to the kitchen to grab his bag. He picks it off the floor and sets it back on a table in the dining area, messing with the knot on the front of his apron before he unwraps it twice around his slim hips and unzips his backpack. When he goes to stuff the dirty apron in his bag his eyes catch a flicker of grey fabric, and his hand freezes immediately where it hovers halfway in the bag. The scarf. Yu’s scarf. He has not idea how it ended up in his bag, maybe he accidentally grabbed it along with his apron when he scooped it off the floor this morning, regardless, it does nothing for his current state, and Yosuke suddenly feels very much like he’s going to be sick.

Should he give it back? Is that the normal thing to do? He doesn’t even know where Yu lives, and the idea of giving it to him person makes his knees knock together and almost sends him toppling to the floor. He could leave it on Yu’s door? He’s talked to Partner- Yu, he winces, he has to stop separating the two in his head- enough times to have a pretty good idea of when he’ll be home and at work or school, so maybe he can just put it in a plastic bag and hang it on his doorknob? That’s not weird.

 

“Hey, Chie,” He tries and then falters, turning towards the counter and getting the girl’s attention before it occurs to him that of course Chie doesn’t know where Yu lives. She knows him even less than Yosuke knows him, and Yosuke knows everything about him and nothing at all at the same time.

The door rings and swings inward, letting in a short burst of icy air and the sharp smell of expensive perfume. Rise is standing next to the tray deposit, picking at the fingers of her gloves one by one before tugging them off her wrists. She shoves them in the pocket of her fluffy pink coat, stepping fully into the dining area with movements accentuated by the clicking of heels on the tiled floor. She glances to Chie and waves, her smile bright and cheerful until it shifts to Yosuke and he meets her with a haggard stare and weak smile, and her expression drops considerably.

 

“Yosuke, are you okay? You don’t look very well…” Rise steps forward slowly, pulling out the chair next to Yosuke’s table and taking a seat.

 

“I uhh… didn’t get much sleep.” He tries to yawn to emphasize the statement, but he is tired and his throat burns and the he ends up just standing there with his mouth half open, looking as if he might say something as he exhales slowly.

 

“Weren’t you and Narukami supposed to hang out?” Yosuke visibly flinches, and he runs a hand over his face tiredly, frustrated by his lack of control over his expressions. The last thing he needs is people thinking him and Yu got in some kind of fight. Yosuke will just as happily avoid any conversation or contact with or about Partner if he can help it.

Rise picks up on it though, and her eyes flicker down to her hands almost quick enough for Yosuke to notice the surprise there.

 

“Have you talked to him, by the way,” Rise opts to change the topic, and while they’re still talking about Yu, at least he can be sort of grateful they’re not still discussing last night, “I’ve tried calling him a couple of times but I haven’t heard anything.”

 

Yosuke stares blankly at Rise, his hand twitching towards the grey scarf in his bag.

 

“You know where he lives right? Do you think you could give me his address? I have to give him something back.”

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ve been there a few times for dinner. I was supposed to swing by today so we could get lunch but-”

 

“Actually, would you mind giving this to him yourself?” Yosuke blurts, his fingers clutching around the scarf and thrusting it between them before he can even fully comprehend the words that are leaving his mouth.

 

“What? I mean, I don’t mind just giving the address-”

 

“ _No._ I mean- uh- no. No. That’s alright, just-,” He falters, hand flailing the scarf between them as he gives Rise a desperate glance, “If you’re already planning on stopping by could you just… Give this to him. I’m not feeling well- and Chie is letting me go home early, so you’d really be doing me a favor and-”

 

He lets his request hang in the air. Rise stands with arms folded across from him, a doubtful look turning her lips downward that is enough to convince him she’s getting ready to say no. Yosuke spares on last pleading glance, his eyes red rimmed from lack of sleep, and wide as he holds the scarf a little closer to where she stands. “Please. Rise, please. I’ll owe you, okay? Just- please do this for me.”

She stands in silence for another moment, and Yosuke is still half convinced he’s going to have to go himself, a thought severe enough to make a cold ball of dread settle in his stomach. She nods once sharply, jerking the scarf from his grasp before turning to the door. She casts a final look over her shoulder as she leaves.

 

“I hope whatever happened between you two gets worked out. Yu really cares about you.”

 

When he steps outside the colds bites at his neck, the absence of the scarf an acute reminder of the previous twenty hour hours, Yosuke swallows past the chill and shoulders his way home, but he feels empty and miserable and he tries not to imagine how Yu will look when Rise shows up and gives him the scarf. He’s fairly certain he’s never felt so bad about any desicion in his entire life.

 

__________

 

Morning arrives and Yu is still awake when the sun begins to light up the curtains and cast the living room in pale shades of white. He hardly slept at all, mostly just dozing in and out until the pain in his stomach would wake him up and leave him wiping at his eyes and grinding his teeth. He uses his phone once, long enough to call into work and tell his boss he won’t be coming in today, something he has never done since he got the job, but the ragged exhaustion in his voice is evident and his manager only thanks him for the notice, telling him to get some sleep and let her know if he needs more time out. He spends the rest of the day on the couch, moving only to pull a blanket off his bed when the air conditioning kicks on, and to, at another point, go and heat up a cup of ramen in his microwave, only taking a few bites before the hot burn of broth upsets his stomach and he throws the full cup in the trash. At some point he manages to close his eyes and fall into a half dazed sleep of some sort, it is abruptly interrupted by a harsh knocking on his door.

Yu’s face snaps to the door as he clambers off the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stumbling to the door, his heart suddenly pounding as he jerks the knob to the right and it swings outward before even checking to see who it might be.

 

“What happened?”

 

Risette is standing outside on the landing, a plastic bag of food in one hand, and a familiar grey scarf wrapped in the other. He feels his heart sink immediately, and it obviously shows on his face, Rise glances downward as if she’s avoiding his tired stare.

 

“Rise.” He tries to say, but his voice is hoarse and his throat aches, and Rise is shouldering past him, walking into the kitchen and laying the bag on his counter.

 

“So I stopped by the coffee shop today to talk to Chie. Yosuke was working and he wanted me to give you this,” Rise holds the scarf out to Yu, but he makes no move to grab it, instead staring numbly at the space where it is held between them, “Actually, he wanted your address so he could drop it off himself, but when I showed up he practically begged me to do it for him.”

 

So he doesn’t want to talk. It’s not entirely surprising but it’s enough to turn the smell of food sour in his nose. He weakly reaches for the scarf, sighing and setting it on the counter.

 

“I’ve called you like twenty times. Yu, are you alright? What happened?”

 

“It’s nothing, Rise. I’m fine.. I just… I’d like to be alone.” The protest sounds weak and bitter in his mouth, and Rise looks him up and down and tsks.

 

“Look, if you need some time, that’s fine. But make sure you eat,” She gestures to the bag of food on the counter, “And answer your phone.”

 

Rise walks towards the door, Yu following her in silence before she pauses halfway through the entrance and looks back at him.

 

“I’ve known Yosuke for a long time, and I’ve never seen him as happy as he’s been in the last few months, since he’s met you. Whatever happened, I’m sure you guys will work it out.”

  
The door shuts behind her, and Yu is left in the solidarity of his own apartment. He walks to the kitchen and sorts through the food, his stomach growling and his chest squeezes in response. Yu places the boxes in the fridge and picks up his phone. He dismisses the missed calls from Rise, and pauses on Yosuke’s contact, sighing heavily before he holds down on the name and an option pops up, he presses delete and watches the name disappear from his contacts. He walks back to the couch, lays down, and closes his eyes, hands gripping at the cushion until his knuckles turn white.


	24. Needing/Getting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys this is getting an extra chapter! Originally this chapter was going to be the end, but since there's going to be some smut in the last chapter, I wanted to make sure that those of you who wanted the resolve without the steamy bits would have a place to stop. That being said, if you don't read smut then skip chapter 25 and go to the epilogue after this. I'll put another warning on that chapter as well. I hope you all enjoy!

The next morning Yu wakes up to the shrill chirping of his phone alarm, getting out of bed and into the shower after the third time he hits snooze. He can’t call out of work two days in a row, even if his head and chest and ears and lungs still ache with sickness and exhaustion. The hot water does little to clear his head, but at least it helps to wake up his arms and legs and get them moving with marginally more purpose. He stands in front of the bathroom mirror and stares at his reflection in the fog, silver eyes dull and ringed by circles, cheeks gaunt and skin slightly flush from the shower. He looks like a wreck, and Yu tries to convince himself it’s a little better, once he’s dressed in a clean work shirt and slacks, but it’s not very convincing, and he spends an additional fifteen minutes trying to smooth down his hair into it’s usual neat swoop, pressing his mouth into a thin line when he gets his bangs to lay over his eyebrows and his usual bowl cut is in order because if he’s going to look like he’s a mess, he can at least ensure his hair and clothes are in order. He hasn’t eaten in two days, so he grabs a cereal bar out of the cabinet on his way out, he doesn’t have a bento ready for lunch, but he’s not sure he could muster the appetite to eat one anyways, and when he thinks about getting coffee on his way to work, he immediately rejects the idea, his stomach churning slightly at the thought. 

The automatic familiarity in sorting and scrawling across different files and cases does little to ease the tension in his shoulders, and by the time his lunch break rolls around Yu has checked the clock on his phone at least six times, gotten up to walk stiffly to the bathroom and wash his face with cold water at least ten times, and had to reassure at least eight of his coworkers that he is, in fact, well enough to be working today, much to their disbelief. When his shift ends Yu packs up his things with jerky, nervous, movements, and walks home in the snow. The next three days follow in a similar routine, and it’s not until Friday that the lack of sleep and proper meals finally gets to Yu, and he finds himself tucked into his usual table at Aiya’s, a cup of black coffee warming his palms, because while the bitterness makes his nose scrunch disgustedly, he knows drinking anything with any amount of flavor or sweetness will do nothing for his stomach. 

He’s scrolling through his phone when the door swings open and a burst of winter air touches the inside of the coffee shop, Yu is tilting the coffee towards his mouth when he looks up at the intruder, and he nearly drops both the coffee and phone to the floor. It’s Yosuke, and he looks nearly as unkempt as Yu, his hair windblown and messy and his eyes red and rimmed by sunken dark rings. He glances around the store’s interior for a moment before he turns and, of all things, looks at Yu, his eyes widening a fraction before he crosses his arms uncomfortably, as if he doesn’t know what to do with them, and swiftly crosses the dining area to stop in front of where Yu sits. Yu looks pointedly at his hands, his throat feeling tight and raw and his head too light for him to glance up without swaying. Yosuke stands at the opposite end of the table, eyes shifting uncomfortably between Yu and the floor.

 

“Uh… Hey. Can I… sit?” He asks, his voice an airy squeak that conveys everything from horribly unsure of himself to nervous. 

 

_ That-  _ Is not what Yu is expecting, and he manages to jerk his head up to meet Yosuke’s stare with wide eyes, surprise etched across his face as he nods once, sharply, not trusting his voice enough to form a reply.

 

“Okay… Just- let me go get a drink really quick. Don’t… go anywhere. Okay?” He manages to sound a little less hesitant as he glances at the register and then back to Yu, as if he’s afraid the silver haired boy will bolt the second he walks away. Yu doesn’t blame him, the thought has definitely crossed his mind.

Yu nods again, and tries to look interested in his phone as he watches Yosuke’s back walk to the counter and order a coffee, his shoulders rigid and conveying days worth of stress and discomfort. He comes back a moment later with some frozen drink topped with an ungodly amount of whipped cream. He sits down across from Yu and stirs a straw in his drink, the whipped cream slowly melting into the crushed coffee ice. Yosuke makes no move to actually drink his purchase, instead focusing intently on the straw as he works up the courage to speak.

 

“I… think we need to talk.” He mutters noncommittally, and for the first time Yu can hear the hoarse exhaustion that makes his normally loud and friendly exterior look raw and tired. 

Yosuke pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and when he’s this close Yu can see the pink splotches that layer his pallid skin and muttles with the freckles that dot his cheeks. He retracts his previous thoughts, somehow, Yosuke has managed to look even worse than Yu feels, and the thought makes his chest squeeze with pity and guilt. It’s his fault Yosuke looks like this, he should have told him the truth, should have told him that first night at the coffee shop, regardless of who else was around, shouldn’t have put Yosuke through finding out the way he did, making the closest thing he’s ever had to a friend… and something more, hurt the way he so obviously is now. Yosuke sighs across from him, passing a hand over his face and muttering something about this being harder than he’d thought. He reaches for his pocket and pulls out an mp3, fiddling with the cord before music starts playing softly from the headphones around his neck, Yosuke shuts his eyes for a moment and evens out his breaths. They stay like this for several minutes, Yu allowing Yosuke time to collect himself even though his phone is indicating he’s growing closer and closer to the end of his lunch break. After a long stretch of silence Yosuke finally looks up, face looking haggard and at it’s limit before he sighs again and turns off the music.

 

“I uh.. Know you work on Fridays, and you come here a lot during your work breaks so I figured it was worth a shot, seeing if you’d be here… I... wasn’t expecting to be right about that, I guess.”

 

“We don’t have to talk… if you’re not ready or… you don’t want to.” Yu presses quietly, trying not to sound like the offer breaks his resolve as much as it does. It’s the first time he’s spoken and his voice obviously startles Yosuke. The brunette flinches a little before he settles back into his seat.

 

“No. No- I mean… I want to talk-” He blanches, his face going white with worry as his hand jerks up from the coffee cup, hovering between them as if he’s going to grab Yu’s wrist,  _ “I-” _ His teeth click shut, his lips pressing into a line as he chews on the words that are caught in his throat, “It’s just… your voice sounds like it did on the phone… Now that I think about it… Sorry, I guess it kind of surprised me, is all.”

 

“Oh.” Is all Yu can manage to choke out, because that was  _ definitely  _ not was he was expecting, and Yosuke is  _ blushing? _ The pink in his cheeks cast downward with his stare, making his features look more healthy and alive than they have since he walked into the coffee shop.

 

“Do you think we could talk somewhere more… private?” Yosuke whispers, his eyes still drilling holes into the table as he rotates the cup in his hands.

 

“Uh.. yeah. Of course. I have to go back to work, my break is almost over,” Yu glances down at his phone, Yosuke’s eyes following before darting away, “But I get off around five, so if you want we can meet at my apartment? It’s only five minutes down the road. Unless you…” He lets the words trail off,  _ unless you’d feel uncomfortable there _ , implied and hanging in the breath between them. 

 

Yosuke nods sharply, too sharply, before meeting Yu’s stare. “No, that will work fine. Can you text me the adress?”

 

Yu nods in reply, watching Yosuke grab his things and push his seat back, he disappears out the door a moment later, his absence leaving a bitterness in Yu’s mouth. He picks up his phone immediately, finding Yosuke’s number in his call history, even if the contact is no longer attached to it. He typed out his street and apartment number hastily, sending it off and setting the phone back on the table. It buzzes as he’s getting up to throw away his drink, he drops the empty cup on the floor before he manages to fumble for the phone in his pocket, pulling it out and opening the message with shaky movements.

 

_ Xxx-xxx-1852 _

_ 1:52pm _

_ thx. ill see u then. Jiraya. _

 

He stares at the signature too long, his eyes roving over the text with perturbed anticipation.

 

__________

 

He checks the time. 4:52. Yosuke sighs too tensely and pockets his phone, having checked the clock for the tenth time in the last five minutes. He’s pacing. Which is something Yosuke doesn’t do, but leaning restlessly against the wall only worked for the first ten minutes, and the music in his ears is thrumming out a tempo too terse for standing still, so instead he’s walking. Back and forth, shortly, his shoulder rigid and his hands shoved into the bottoms of his pockets. He went home to change. A pair of dark green skinny jeans, an orange shirt with yellow trim, and a white jacket. He hoped that looking somewhat presentable would help him to control his mannerisms. The clean clothes do little to ease the tension in his jaw, though, or the exhaustion that he knows he carries in his posture and stare. It’s been four days, each more unbearable than the last. He’s rotated between work and school and both, for each of them, hoping that keeping busy would help dull the edge on the pain. It hasn’t and Yosuke has become increasingly more sure with each one, why. He doesn’t want to say the words out loud. He tried to whisper them to himself the other day, three simple words that get caught in his mouth and produce nothing but a keen whine that gets trapped in his throat. So, now he’s here, at Yu’s house, listening to a song that is doing nothing for his nerves, and pacing, which is a distinctly not-Yosuke like, thing to do. HE checks the time again. 4:55. He groans, grounding out his frustration between his teeth, thumbing up the volume on his mp3 until all he can hear is erratic drums and the squealing of guitars. He’s turned away from the door when he feels a touch on his elbow, gentle and cautious, and it makes him jump and cross his arms defensively, the gesture yanks the cord from his music player and song stops abruptly. Yu is standing in the hallway, his hand frozen in place beneath Yosuke’s elbow, his eyes are wide and it looks like he’s carded the gesture away as a mistake. Yosuke should reassure him, but Yosuke can’t even reassure himself. Yu is standing there so close and he smells like the warm laundry his mom would leave folded on his bed and- no. Yu doesn’t smell like his  _ mom. _ It sounds wrong in his head. He just smells like laundry. Nice clean cotton that reminds him of home, but not the stressful and loud home he remembers. It reminds him of long nights talking into his pillow while Partner listens on speakerphone. And the grey scarf that he winds around his face when the cold is too biting. Yu is still standing there, unsure, Yosuke tries to wave, his hand falters in the air, his smile not even a little convincing. He winces. That probably doesn’t help. Yu looks like he wants to run away. Yosuke turns fully and reaches out to grab his wrist. Keep him from leaving. Although obviously Yu wasn’t going to leave. This is  _ his  _ apartment, and now Yosuke is holding his wrist, and he can feel Yu’s erratic pulse, and he still hasn’t spoken so instead he just releases the hand and brings his own back to his side, trying to say everything and nothing and instead he blanches, flushing and looking down. 

 

“Do you uh… want to go inside?” Yu asks nervously, his voice quavers and it’s so unlike Yu, but it reminds him of the nights Partner would call on the phone, asking Yosuke to talk to him because his apartment is too empty, too alone.

 

“Yeah.” He mumbles, and Yu turns to the door, pulling a key from his pocket and sliding it into the lock, turning it smoothly to the right and letting the door swing inward.

 

The lights are off but the window lets in enough of the sunset to cast the room in shades of warm yellow and red. It looks completely unfurnished. Plain paint on plain walls that frame a plain floor with no carpets or rugs or anything but a single empty shelf. Yu walks to the kitchen and Yosuke follows. He grabs two waters from a fridge, and hands one to Yosuke, and it’s cold and refreshing on his skin even if he doesn’t drink it. He kind of wants to press it to his face, and let the chilled bottle ground him, but he doesn’t, instead turning to face Yu and leaning back slightly on the counter.

 

“I uh… I’m sorry for startling you, back there.” Yu glances at the hallway and the closed door that separates it, “I tried saying your name but you didn’t hear me…”

 

“It’s fine. I was a little jumpy anyways so…. Not your fault.” He tries to act casual, even tries to laugh a little, but his throat is rough, and it turns into a cough, and now he’s doubled over, and Yu looks concerned.

 

“Are you okay? Drink some water.”

 

Yosuke nods his head towards the end of the coughing spell, nervously unscrewing the cap to the bottle and it falls from his trembling fingers to the floor instead, he bends down to pick up the cap, but Yu bends down at the same time, and their heads bash into each other, and Yosuke is swearing and rubbing at his temple, Yu bent halfway over still and resting a hand on his head.

 

“Shit. Sorry.” Yosuke mumbles, and he glances up to see Yu flushing, staring at the floor and looking very much like he’s trying to make the bottle cap burst into flames where it sits between their feet. Yosuke can’t help it. He laughs, and it doesn’t turn into a cough this time. 

 

Yu’s head shoots up to stare at Yosuke, and he looks like he just saw a ghost. But a good ghost? Because he’s smiling, and now he’s laughing too, and Yosuke feels a little lighter than he has since the beginning of the week. The laughter dies down after a minute, Yu’s chuckles becoming a breathy sound that makes the skin on Yosuke’s arms prickle, and they fall into a tense silence, too many things said and not said to possibly know where to start.

 

“Why?” Yosuke blurts out after a moment, and the question is strangled and nervous and holds too many implications.

 

Yu looks at the ground again, back to staring at the bottle cap. Yosuke joins him, trying to read the tiny white print stamped on the inside of the cap. 

 

“I was going to tell you. I wanted to wait, at first. The night you sang at the coffee shop, I wanted to tell you  _ so  _ much, Yosuke. But your friends were asking questions about who you were texting, and you seemed so defensive. I didn’t want to out us in public.” Yu tries to meet his gaze and wavers, his cheeks blushing slightly and the sight has a weird affect on Yosuke’s stomach. “So, I decided to wait. Just until I found the right moment. But, we started hanging out, and it got to the point where I had waited so long that it would seem weird if I just brought it up… I was scared. And it was stupid. And a total invasion of your privacy. And I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to want anything to do with me after everything… and that’s okay, I think. I understand. I’m just glad I got the chance to tell you, even if it’s too late.”

 

It sounds like a goodbye, and Yosuke’s chest clenches in response. He believes Yu, he thinks. And he knows that even if he doesn’t believe Yu it doesn’t change the reason he showed up at Aiya’s looking for Partner, it doesn’t change how he feels. He chews on his tongue thoughtfully before he speaks.

 

“I believe you.” He sees some tension drain from Yu’s face. “Look, what you did sucks. But I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing in your position. And, I… don’t want it to end… like this. I guess at first I was afraid that you were just messing with me. Like maybe you got some kind of kick out of being Partner on the phone, and Yu in real life. Or maybe you just met me in person and decided you didn’t like the real me,” Yosuke gestures up and down aimlessly, “But I think I believe you. And… I like you. Yu  _ and  _ Partner… and honestly, I guess I’m a little relieved we got the whole “meeting” thing out of the way.”

 

Yu looks like he’s been slapped, shock warring with relief and then it melts into something warmer, affection? Regardless, Yosuke smiles in return, the first smile that he’s felt himself behind all week.

 

“So…” Yu pauses, his smile widening a little and looking just a little clever, when he speaks again it’s with a tone of voice Yosuke has distinctly heard before from Partner, “You like me?”

 

Yosuke chuckles, watching Yu watch him, a little breathlessly.

 

“Of course I like you, partner. I’ve said as much before. I- you’re special to me.”  _ I love you. _ The words are felt even if they don’t come out the way they’re intended, the emotion is still inflected in his tone. 

 

Yu takes a tentative step forward, and when his hands brush Yosuke’s waist he suddenly feels like he might fall over, everything too close and too much and too  _ real _ , too suddenly. Yosuke breathes out shakily, watching Yu, who is slightly taller than him, look down at him with quirked lips.

 

“I… uh… I’d like to kiss you, Yosuke.” Yu tries a bit nervously, Yosuke’s cheeks blush with heat, and he feels Yu’s breath hit his face, warm and carrying the taste of chapstick and something sweet. 

 

“A little forward there, huh partner?” Yosuke chuckles, licking his lips nervously to hide his discomposure.

 

“What’d you think we would do when we met, Yosuke? Shake hands?” Yu smiles slyly, and Yosuke actually snorts at the reference to their text conversations, an extremely undignified sound that earns a chuckle from Yu.

 

“Yeah, but if I remember correctly, there was supposed to be dinner first. And a movie. What happened to you being a gentleman?”

 

“Well,” Yu looks thoughtful, and Yosuke shifts in his stance, moving his own arms to wrap around Yu’s neck, his actions speaking confidence laced with nervousness, “We’ve already gone to the movies, once. And I  _ did  _ cook for you, you just didn’t eat it.”

 

Yosuke laughs lightly and looks up at Yu, his silver eyes shining with warmth and happiness, and there’s a moment when they both just stare awkwardly at each other, both waiting for the other to either do something or say something or, he doesn’t know, disappear? Whatever they’re waiting for, it’s curtly interrupted when Yosuke shoots onto his toes and pecks Yu on the lips, ducking away and looking mildly horrified before Yu chases his lips and crushes them in a kiss. It’s not gentle, or sweet, and it’s a bit clumsy, if he’s honest. It takes them both a moment to figure out how his lips are supposed to fit on Yu’s, and when Yu presses forward Yosuke gasps into his mouth, and Yu’s lips curl into a smile, and it’s awkward and mismatched, but after a moment they both adjust. Yu taste like warmth and chapstick and it leaves him hungry and aching, months of imaging his lips over the phone, doing the real thing no justice. It doesn’t surprise him that the first time isn’t some chaste thing that leaves them both light and giddy. They’ve played it out over the phone, and Yosuke remembers the breathy, longing pitch in Yu’s voice through the phone speakers, and when Yu dips forward a bit and runs his tongue along Yosuke’s lower lip, he makes the same sound, muttering Yosuke’s name in a tone that sends a jolt straight through his center. Before Yosuke knows what’s happening he’s pressing Yu against the counter, hands slipping from his neck to his waist, and tugging at his shirt, fingers sliding over the exposed skin of his hip and leaving his hands numb and tingling. He’s wanted this for months, imagined it through texts and phone calls and now it’s  _ real _ , and Yosuke is drunk on Yu’s body, pulled into his gravity like a planet orbiting the sun, and he can’t stop touching, and feeling, and  _ tasting.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big huge thanks to everyone! Sorry to those of you that hate me for leaving the last chapter like that, I hope this makes up for it!


	25. Resolutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT WARNING!
> 
> Yay for chapter updates in quick succession!
> 
> GUYS I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN SMUT PLEASE GO EASY ON ME *HEAVY BREATHING*

_ “Yosuke.” _ Yu gasps, Yosuke has nestled his mouth onto the bottom of Yu’s jaw, sucking at the skin there and running his tongue and teeth over the smoothness. Yu’s voice is ragged and gasping, and Yosuke feels his fingers twitch in response.

 

“Partner?” Yosuke mumbles into Yu’s skin, and if nothing else got a reaction, that did, Yu digs his fingers into Yosuke’s hips, clawing at the hem of his pants and letting out a ragged sound halfway between a heavy breath and a whine. The noise has a similar reaction on Yosuke, and his pants are suddenly too tight, too constrictive. 

 

Yu pulls away a bit, and there’s a moment when he looks at Yosuke, his eyes wild, and his pupils blown wide, and his face flushed with his mouth slightly parted, and he asks in a weak voice that holds no conviction, “Should we? I- I don’t want to rush things… I don’t want to ruin this.”

 

But if Yu’s beauty wasn’t enough to convince Yosuke that he is getting this man into bed, damn the consequences, the last several months are. There’s nothing to ruin. They both knew what they were getting into, Yosuke has never wanted anything so much in his life, and his only objection is that Yu is currently pinned to a kitchen counter, and not a mattress. Not that they can’t do it on the counter later. So instead of replying he crushes Yu’s mouth against his own, and that is enough to expel any objection, because Yu still has that hungry look, his hair slightly disheveled, and he takes Yosuke’s wrist in his with a hard grasp, pulling him out of the kitchen and down the hall and through a door with just enough time left in between to pin him against a wall or two, and then they’re in the bedroom, Yosuke fumbling clumsily with the buttons of Yu’s shirt while Yu shoves his hand down Yosuke’s pants and  _ fuck. _

 

“ _ Fuck _ , Partner-” Yosuke gasps, whining in protest when Yu’s button catches and opting to just pull it over his head instead. 

 

He manages to get the shirt off with only minor difficulty after that, minor being when the collar gets caught on Yu’s jaw and there’s an awkward moment of tug of war between Yosuke and Yu’s face. Next he sets to work on the pants, which is much easier, since Yu assists in pulling off his belt and undoing the button, and when they fall around his knees, Yosuke doesn’t even make fun of his cat print boxers. It can wait. Yu falls onto the futon and Yosuke follows, stradling Yu’s hips and arching his back until he is leaning over him with his hands on either side of Yu’s face. Yu taps his chest for a moment, and Yosuke takes it as a gesture to sit up, kneeling over Yu in nothing but his orange shirt, Yu has made quick and efficient work of the rest. He leans towards Yosuke and fumbles with a dresser next to the futon, sliding open the drawer and fishing around blindly until his hand closes around something and he pulls out a small unlabeled bottle. He waves it in front of Yosuke’s face, grinning wildly, and Yosuke has never seen anything more beautiful in his life. 

 

“Have you? Before?” Yu asks breathlessly, glancing towards the bottle and then to Yosuke. He hasn’t, but he’s practiced enough on his own that he manages to shoot Yu an unworried smile, without consequence. 

He’s so hard, and it makes his heart beat erratically in his chest, his eyes unfocused as he takes the bottle from Yu and squeezes a small amount onto his fingers. Yu seems surprised and maybe a little pleased at the gesture, and he doesn’t waste time adjusting on Yu’s lap and reaching down to his own ass with practiced movements. Yu watches his face with keen interest, watches the shifting of his features as he slides in one finger up to the knuckle, pauses, adjusts, and then adds another. He bites his tongue, screwing his eyes shut and trying not to come undone just from the feeling of Yu’s eyes on his face, and his hands on his hips. Yu sits up fully, forcing Yosuke to follow the motion until he is straddling Yu on his knees, head elevated slightly above Yu’s jaw.

Yosuke slips in a third finger, shuddering and moving in quick, skillful movements. His free hand moves to Yu’s lap, and he presses down roughly, earning a sound from Yu that almost sends Yosuke toppling over the edge. Everything is too much, and he needs to move quick, or he won’t even make it to the main event. Yu seems to have the same idea, shifting under Yosuke until his dick presses lightly against Yosuke’s entrance. Yosuke slides himself down slowly, and he can tell Yu is trying very hard to not lose control and trust into him with force, not that he’d mind, quite the contrary, actually. But it’s better if they start slow, Yosuke still has to walk home, after all. There’s a moment when Yu slides the rest of the way in, and Yosuke bites his fist, an unrepressed whine escaping his throat. Yu has stopped completely, his hands gripping Yosuke’s hips until his nails are digging into the skin, his breath held completely and his eyes screwed shut. They stay like that for a full minute, until he releases the breath in one long shaky exhale, his eyes flickering open and meeting Yosuke’s, before Yosuke lifts himself up slightly, and then drops them back down. Yu grounds out a moan, strangled and uncontrolled, and accentuated by the line of concentration on his face. Yu guides his hips up the second time, slamming up to meet them and some sort of sound escapes Yosuke’s lips but he’s not exactly in the state to concentrate on it. Yu is, apparently, repeating the motion and smiling when it produces the same noise from Yosuke. 

 

_ “Fuck, Yosuke. Fuck. You’re so-” _ His name sounds rough and guttural on Yu’s lips, and it sends a jolt of electricity through his stomach that makes his head snap back and his jaw flex. 

 

They settle into a rhythm, fast and desperate, and Yosuke pants into Yu’s neck, tasting the sweat and warm skin of his jaw. Yu tenses suddenly, his shoulder’s going rigid, and his mouth hanging open as he digs his face into Yosuke’s shoulder and gasps. He can feel Yu’s heart on his chest, the sputtering tempo beating through his ribs, and Yu’s nails scrape across Yosuke’s thighs as he let’s out a shaky breath and shudders, Yosuke’s name falling off his lips like a prayer. He feels warmth spread inside of him, but neither slow their frantic tempo, and when one of Yu’s hands land on Yosuke’s dick he very nearly loses all sense of whatever control he had to begin with. His hand is slick, and Yosuke assumes he’s used some of the lube, at some point, the warm slick friction becoming overwhelming when accompanied by his partner’s overwhelming presence. 

 

“Shit.  _ Fuck- partner. I’m guna-” _ Yosuke bites back a groan as he comes undone, spilling himself over Yu’s chest and lap, and the sight is so amazing, so fucking  _ hot _ , that Yosuke has to blink past the stars in his vision. 

 

They sit there for another moment, Yosuke still situated in Yu’s lap, chest heaving as Yu rests his forehead on Yosuke’s shoulders. Yu’s shoulders shake, and Yosuke realizes he’s laughing, a breathy, half warbled chuckle that sends them both toppling onto the futon, Yosuke sprawled across Yu’s chest. 

They lay there for a few minutes, each breathing in tandem as Yosuke’s hair blurs Yu’s vision and he breathes it away in tiny exhausted puffs.

 

“Hey, Partner.” Yosuke sighs, speaking into Yu’s collarbone and blinking his eyelashes along Yu’s skin.

 

The action must tickle, because Yu sighs and shifts underneath him, slinging an arm around his waist and smiling into Yosuke’s hair.

 

“Hmm?” He hums, the noise full of satisfaction and laced with fatigue. Yosuke doesn’t blame him, the past few days haven’t treated him well at all, and he can feel exhaustion tugging at his senses, lulling him into the first real peace he’s felt all week.

 

“I’m glad I met you.” Yosuke puts all his emotion into the words, leaning into Yu and shutting his eyes, sleep coming easy for the first time in a week. 

 

__________

 

When he wakes up Yu is gone, the futon is still warm, blankets tangled around his legs, and outside the windows the sky is dark and cloudless. Yu is gone but what has replaced him is the warm, savory smell of something cooking, and Yosuke smiles sleepily into the pillow, heart skipping when the smell of food mixes with smell of Yu’s detergent, and he rolls over and out of the blankets, picking his boxers up off the floor before glancing at a half opened dresser and slipping on a pair of Yu’s pajamas instead. They’re soft and grey, and Yu is a bit taller, and wider, so they drag behind his feet a bit, and he has to tie them at the waist. He fishes out a plain white shirt and slips that over his head as well, tugging it down his stomach and making his way into the kitchen. 

Yu is turned towards the stove, wearing a pair of shorts with tiny pink cats dotting the fabric, and a plain grey shirt. Yosuke leans on the bar and watches him for a minute, Yu hadn’t noticed his entrance, absorbed by his cooking. He studies the curve of Yu’s waist, where the small of his back dips into the waistband of his pants, back up to his shoulders, which are hunched forward, and his hands which move in relaxed, practiced movements. He grabs two bowls off the counter and turns around, eyes trailing up and then widening slightly when he sees Yosuke, perched against the bar. He holds one bowl up in a gesture, sliding it across the granite to settle in front of Yosuke. He looks the brunette up and down, only now noticing his borrowed clothes, and Yu immediately blushes, face flushing red as he pointedly stares at the bowl of food in front of him. He doesn’t bring it up, but Yosuke finds the reaction adorable, and accepts his food with a warm smile.

 

“I was going to wake you up when it was done… Sorry, it’s kind of early, but since you got here at five, and we were both pretty tired, and well… things moved pretty fast. We got a lot of sleep.” 

 

“What time is it?” Yosuke asks past a mouthful of food, and  _ damn _ partner was right being good at cooking. It’s delicious.

 

“About six in the morning. The sun will start coming up soon. How do you feel?” 

 

Yosuke swallows his food and thinks about his answer, he’s a little sore, obviously, but honestly he hasn’t felt this rested and content in… ever. He smiles warmly at Yu, giving him a friendly wink that immediately makes him blush even more, and Yosuke almost chokes on his rice before he manages to contain himself, remembering to save that information for later. 

 

“I uh- figure we can go to the coffee shop tonight… Let Rise know everything's resolved. For now we can… talk more? If you want?”

 

“Yeah. That sounds good. Maybe I could uhh… take a shower first? Though?” Yosuke swallows the last bite of his food, his stomach thankful that his first real meal in days was something as delicious as Yu’s cooking. 

 

Yu shows him where the shower is and they each clean up in turn, once Yu and Yosuke have each washed off they settle into the living room, Yosuke’s hair wet and sticking to his neck and jaw while he sits on the couch in Yu’s pajamas.

 

“So… I’m guessing Rise knew?” Yosuke pushes gently, legs folded on the sofa as Yu sits adjacent to him.

 

“Yeah, she found out on her own. In fact, she’s the reason I showed up at the coffee shop that night.”

 

Yosuke snorts, “Yeah that sounds like her.” He grumbles, and Yu smiles lightly in response. 

 

They sit like that throughout the rest of the day, Yu makes ginger pork for lunch, Yosuke hovering around him while he moves about the kitchen. They eat on the couch, Yu turns on the tv and they take turns guessing the answers on game shows, which Yu is unnervingly good at, apparently. They bet on who can get the most answers right, and Yu wins, asking Yosuke to sing for him, even though he doesn’t have a guitar. He shuts his eyes and leans into Yosuke, listening to his chest rumble as he sings the same song he sang the first night Yu met him, this time with a voice softer and set for a more private audience. About an hour before they plan on going to Yosuke’s work, Yosuke walks home, changing out of his borrowed clothes and into something from his own closet. 

They agree to meet at the coffee shop at seven, and Yosuke gets there first, ordering his usual drink as he leans against the counter and chats with Chie, who seems more than surprised by Yosuke’s change in mood. Yu shows up shortly after, a grey scarf wrapped around his neck, that he promptly unwinds and hands to Yosuke with a shy smile.

 

“You forgot one.” He says simply, as if it’s the smallest gift in the world, and it’s Yosuke’s turn to blush as he accepts it and wraps it around his shoulders. 

When Rise arrives she smiles immediately, announcing that she invited the rest of their group out for coffee as well, and they’ll be arriving shortly. There’s no grand announcement, no moment of revelation, other than the occasional glance from the others when Yosuke sits comfortably close to Yu. The only person to actually say anything on the topic is Teddie, of course, who yells out much too loudly for a crowded cafe, “So Yosuke  _ is  _ scoring with a hot dude!” To which Yosuke chokes and spits out his drink, and Yu only stares pointedly at his latte, smiling at the cat that Yosuke painted into the foam. Naoto says something along the lines of her suspicions being confirmed, Chie only stares at the pair in shock, and then occasionally whispers to Yukiko who giggles furiously. The group sit and enjoy drinks until late into the night, when Yu leans into Yosuke’s ear and whispers, “Why don’t you spend the night at my place?” 

 

Yosuke’s smile is all the answer he needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that wasn't too bad guys. These two nerds. I can't. Thanks to everyone for everything.


	26. Epilogue

_Yosuke_

_3:32pm_

_hey partner u free tonite? Jiraya._

 

Yu glances up from his book, Yosuke is sitting across from him, his music history homework consuming the other half of the couch, and his lap. He doesn’t look up from his textbook, his phone lying ignored on the pillow next to it. Yu smiles, swiping his thumb across the screen.

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_3:33pm_

_I’m free. You thinking about doing something?_

 

He puts the phone back in his lap, and out of the corner of his eye he can see Yosuke’s screen light up. He picks up the phone, sliding it onto his book to conceal it from Yu’s glance, his eyes flick over the screen and he smiles, his pen shifting in his fingers so he can type out a one handed response. While Yu waits he glances around the apartment. What was once an empty space is now filled with Yosuke’s things. It’s not like Yosuke just showed up one day and dropped off all his stuff, in fact, he still has his own apartment that he pays for himself. No, instead it’s filled with the little things Yosuke has left there over time. Small reminders of his presence that have accumulated over the months. A single guitar and notebook propped in one corner, a pair of headphones or stack of cd’s, some music homework scattered across his desk, a pair of pants or a shirt discarded on the bedroom floor. The sight makes Yu smile, and his phone buzzes in his lap, his attention shifting to the screen.

 

_Yosuke_

_3:35pm_

_mayb dinner? A movie? we can go back to my place? Or urs? Jiraya._

 

____________

 

_xxx-xxx-4431_

_3:36pm_

_That sounds nice. We can get coffee?_

 

Yu shifts on the couch, watching Yosuke receive and read the text before he starts typing again, music softly playing in his ears as he adjusts the grey and orange headphones on his head.

 

_Yosuke_

_3:36pm_

_green tea w honey? Jiraya._

 

Yosuke sighs and closes the textbook, thumping his head into the cushion and closing his eyes. He sighs contentedly, and Yu finds himself mimicking the action, his body slow and lazy from where the sun strikes through the window and warms his side. It takes him a moment before he can type a response.

 

_Xxx-xxx-4431_

_3:40pm_

_Yeah. Sounds good._

 

____________

 

_Yosuke_

_3:42pm_

_good. then its a date. Jiraya._

 

_3:42pm_

_hey partner Jiraya._

 

_3:42pm_

_i. Jiraya._

 

_3:43pm_

_love u. Jiraya._

 

“I love you too, Yosuke.” Yu responds automatically, and Yosuke blushes on his right, he mumbles something in response, but Yu is too lost in the atmosphere to notice, lost in Yosuke’s smile as he nods his head along with the music, next to him, pretending he didn’t hear even though they both know he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. It's done. Thank you to everyone for showing so much support. The response has been overwhelming in the best possible way and I don't know how to thank you all enough. This is my first full length story, so I hope you all enjoyed it. Feel free to leave feedback, it's going to be weird not constantly checking for updates on this monster anymore. I'm starting a new Souyo story tomorrow so keep an eye out for that!  
> This time: MMORPG themed. 
> 
> Another big thanks for everyone who joined the ride, it's been crazy, and so much fun. I can't put into words how much all of you're support means. Thanks to those of you who did fanart, followed me on tumblr, and got in touch with me personally. I hope this story does all the support justice. Just... thank you.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Just By Chance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13850196) by [UpDownLeftGone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpDownLeftGone/pseuds/UpDownLeftGone)




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